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This is the main video I'm basing my observations on
http://youtube.com/watch?v=X6-3fmFkvT8
Azu is not 6'5 - 6'6. The knock on him by some is that he's closer to 6'3 than to 6'5 (as he's listed).
This is the main video I'm basing my observations on
http://youtube.com/watch?v=X6-3fmFkvT8
Not sure how you can base anything off of a video that shows him shooting a bunch of threes and that's it.
I'd be very surprised to find out this is true. He plays above the rim, the way a guy 6'7-6'8 with average athletic ability would.
I'm in wait and see mode for Mason. The Spurs wanted him last summer after a horrible shooting year in 06-07 by him (0.330 FG, 0.324 3FG). So they coveted him for more than just shooting. His good shooting in 07-08 might have just been a fluke because he's never shot well before that .. so I don't know why people are quick to say he's "just a good perimeter shooter." He might not even be that.
Your right, all I'm saying that he could be a 1 dimensional player.. and that's my guess based on what his game looks like to me.. and the video supports that notion. Hope I'm wrong about it.
do you think Gist will be good enough to have a shot at being that what you are saying we lack?Spurs biggest need after the Mason signing is a long SF/mobile PF.
It has been Spurs biggest need for years and it still hasn't been addressed.
Ill wait to see what they do with the rest of the MLE and the LLE before i rate the off season
So far, i give it a straight C
He would be a success in my book if he can knock down open shots.. as in make teams pay for leaving him open and play adequate defense. The create his own shot and penetrate stuff is overrated around here. The Spurs got the big 3 for that. Horry, Finley, Udoka, Vaughn and Bowen missed way too many good looks last time around. In turn adding to the workload of Tim, Manu and Tone. For some reason Spurs fans have forgotten that.
I think the Spurs are planning on bringing Rob back.
I disagree... the spurs cannot keep pinning their entire success on the 3pt shot anymore, its great when the shots are falling but you can't count on it all the time.
The greater need for the spurs is getting some energy on the offensive boards and someone who can score in more than 1 or 2 ways. Many times they go one and done the offensive end, and alot of times its easy shots that are being missed. Duncan draws all kinds of attention and alot of times almost makes a tough shot anyway... with a wing that can crash the boards from the weakside, alot of these misses will end up being put-backs.
That's why this signing makes no sense from that standpoint... it furthur entrenches the spurs into the whole philosophy of living by the jumpshot, and when its not falling, its gonna be alot more of 1 and done. Especially considering Mason has no athleticism and does not rebound well.
That's where Azuibuke would have been a much better choice, here's a guy who crashes the offensive boards relentlessly, and knows how penetrate and finds mul udes of ways to score in the paint, in addition to having a decent outside shot when needed.
But, apparently Buford and Popovich feel otherwise, that the spurs need to continue to live by that darn jumpshot.
Dude, they haven't even played a game yet. : homerEverybody is going to underestimate this offseason.
I think we have improved greatly and still have the chance to improve in our future.
seriously think about it. Maggette would have been nice but he obviously is not a winner and his at ude just doesnt fit with us. He doesnt care about winning he justs wants to get paid because this was his last chance for big money.
Roger Mason Jr is a replacement of Michael Finley or Brent Barry.
Unlike Finley or Barry, is a way better scorer and could erupt for 20 almost any given night. Finley and Barry combined to score 20pts in a game maybe like 10 times all year, just a wild guess.
But i can see Mason moving into the starting lineup during the season and become a reliable shooter/scorer off the penetration and double teams his the big 3 creates.
Dont sleep on George Hill either.......
This kid can easily be the big sleeper in the draft. You could not find this guy on ESPN top draft prospects before the draft. Now he is ranked top 20. Still a little high but hey this cat was nowhere close to lottery and played at IUPUI!!!!!!!!
He will improve our bench scoring as well, and he seems like a player who can get hot and score maybe 25. I like bringing in players that can get hot any night and just score the basketball like Hill and Mason do,it takes so much pressure off Manu.
I think we have improved as a team. Seriously we were at the WCF, the oldest team and had our best player all year play on one foot.
Spurs are going to be fine fellas...im getting excited thinking about it.
Last Years Rotation
PF-Tim Duncan 34 mpg
PG-Tony Parker 33mpg
SG-Manu Ginobili 31.1 mpg
SF-Bruce Bowen 30.3 mpg
SG- Michael Finley 27 mpg
C-Kurt Thomas 22 mpg
BENCH MINUTES
C-Fab Oberto 20 mpg
SF- Ime Udoka 18 mpg
SG-Brent Barry 17 mpg
PG- Jacque Vaughn 15 mpg
PF- Robert Horry 12.9 mpg
PF-Matt Bonner 12 mpg
PG-Mighty Mouse
Next Year
PG-Tony Parker 35 mpg
PF- Tim Duncan 33 mpg
SG- Manu Ginobili 28 mpg
SF-Bruce Bowen 22 mpg
C- Kurt Thomas 22 mpg
BENCH MINUTES
SG- Roger Mason jr 18-20 mpg
SF- Ime Udoka 20 mpg
PG- George Hill 15 mpg
C- Fab Oberto 15 mpg
C- Ian Mahimi 12 mpg
Not sexy but we are a better team....
The Spurs don't pinn their hopes on just one aspect of the game. There are quite a few. They would depend on their stars "all the time" when it comes down to winning. A very important aspect is hitting the perimeter shot to take advantage of open shots as a result of the big 3 presense and help spread the floor for them.
When you make it to the WC finals against the best of the best and can't hit open shots. Big shots that matter. Then you don't go any further. Boston showed how it was done best, the Spurs aren't very far. Getting younger legs that can help in the shooting department and do enough on D is a step in the right direction.
Lost in all of this is that the Spurs were a healthy Manu away from the Finals last year. Let's remember that what the Spurs look for is complementary pieces that they think can work WITHIN THEIR SYSTEM to get maximum value. Which is what you have to do if you don't have Paul Allen or Mark Cuban bankrolling your G.M.. If you want a team that spends like those guys do, then feel free to wander away. Otherwise....
You know they've scouted all the people that everyone on this board throws out there, right? You do know they have a scouting department, and have watched enough of these guys to at least have an inkling of who can fit with them?
Like Kori, I'm in wait and see mode for Mason. But I was that way with Udoka last year, and he certainly seems to fit. I think Buford and Pop have earned a little leeway here. Let's see how the rest of the offseason shakes out. Already, with Hairston, Hill, and Mason, they've brought in some younger guys who can probably grow in the system.
[That being said, I wish we had Scola. They're not infallible, y'know.]
I've been pretty ing disappointed so far... Roger Mason? WTF.
That's a good signing.
agreed...a very long stretch
Why is everyone so high on Azubuike? He is ok, but we already have slashers..Tony and Manu get to the rim as much as any back court in the ENTIRE league. We need better defenders and jump shooters. You can not just have everyplayer going to the rim, we have our guys that do it the best, then you dish it out to open shooters. We also have a big man that plays inside and dishes it out. Another slasher would be good when Manu and Tony are off the floor, but that is not for the majority of the time, especially in the playoffs.
You do realize that Azubuike crashes the boards way more because that is their philosophy. They do not worry about getting back on defense on missed shots, they worry about going all out to get offensive rebounds. The Spurs, do try for offensive rebounds, but not at the expense of allowing teams to constantly run at them and get transition baskets...
efficiency over flare just isn't a hot topic these days.
For those saying Mason is nothing more than a younger version of Finley, remember: the Spurs won a le with a younger Finley. And Mason is even younger now than Finley was in '07. Duncan has slipped a tiny bit, Manu just has his best season ever, and Tony is about to enter his prime. There's a good chance Hill will be an improvement on Vaughn. Udoka defends better than Finley or Barry. If Mahinmi can match or exceed the play of Elson, there's no reason to think the Spurs aren't in a good position to win it all again.
I lived in D.C., went to just about every wizards home game. Masons stats are nothing to go by for what he can do. In the system he was in, a strange high flying in the flow princeton offense with no real presence in the paint, Mason started to acclimate and do alright after two seasons.
I'm excited to see him play in the methodical half court Spurs system. He's going to be getting a lot of open looks, and I've seen this guy, he can shoot. So unlike our old system where we had finley who was a loss on both the defensive and offensive end, we now have a younger guard who is a gunner from long range, and who plays defense with intensity.
I dont imagine him attacking the rack all that much, never really saw him do it in my time in D.C. But during my time there I saw Mason put up several 20+ pt games, and that's what excites me. He just didnt quite fit in with the Wizards offense, where Arenas was given the ball to create 90% of the time, and then Butler and Jamison were given equal touches once he went down.
I agree with the OP. We made it to the conference finals with an injured Manu. Manu is one of our key scorers. Without Manu's 20-ish PTS in that series, we easily lost. I still don't get why you guys are freaking out either.
That bench leaves something to be desired...
Spurs need another "scorer", which by definition does not rely on one facet of his game (i.e. 3pt shot) to put the ball in the hole. Maggette was heavily coveted because he can score in multiple ways and that's something the Spurs were missing when Manu lost some of his speed because of the injury.
Phil Jackson made it a point to close out on the three point shooters and gave the Spurs no space to operate on the perimeter. If the Spurs had one or two guys that were adept at putting the ball on the floor and pulling up inside the arc, they'd have faired much better.
Hopefully Hill and Hairston (if he makes the team) will be able to bring a "scorer" mentality and look to penetrate if given the opportunity.
I'm not sure Mason brings that "scorer" aspect, but then again I don't know enough about him to say he can't be that "scorer". Guess we'll find out...
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