Frank Mason

#1
This kid can play.

He can run and offense and executes well. He isn't a defensive liability and has a solid outside shot. The only knock on him is his size but it is what it is. The kid can really play.

He doesnt have that Vinnie the microwave Johnson offensive streak in him like IT did but that is beyond the point.

Strongly feel we are set for years with Fox and Mason. To me he is outproducing Fox currently (not concerned about that, his game simply put Is more solid than Fox's but Fox has a much higher ceiling)

Got to keep him around and let him continue to develop with the second unit.
 
#4
Frank Leo Mason III won some major awards in college.

From his Wiki:

During his senior season, Mason took on more of a leadership role on the Kansas team, becoming the first player in Big 12 history to average 20 points and 5 assists a game during the regular season.[9] His regular season culminated in receiving multiple awards. He was unanimously selected as the Big 12 Player of the Year, averaging 20.5 points and 5.1 assists in the regular season.[10] He was also consensus first team All-American selection, the NCAA leading 29th 1st team selection in Kansas basketball history.[11] He was awarded multiple player of the year awards including AP Player of the Year,[12] Sporting News Player of the Year,[13] USA Today Player of the Year,[14]Oscar Robertson Award,[15] Naismith Award,[16] NABC Player of the Year[17]

Link---> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Mason_III
 
#5
He's our best player right now imo.

I do think Fox has the highest ceiling, since WCS seems content with just whatever he is at the moment.

Would love to see a combo guard unit of Fox and Mason in the future...
 
#6
Mason is an example how much easier the game gets as a guard, when you are able to hit a jumpshot.
I hope Fox will get there and his superior size and quickness will make an effect. But until that day, Mason simply is the better player.
 
#9
Time for Hill to be benched. Been awefull. Time for him to earn his mins after an injury happens. I want him at the bottom of the bench and his mins to go to Malachi
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#12
I'd say that it's not unusual that Mason appears to be the better player right now, since he went to college for four years against Fox's one year. There's that experience thing again. That's not to take anything away from Frank. He's one of those players that's going to squeeze every bit of ability out of himself. However, I suspect that in a couple of more years, Fox will have surpassed him. There's that upside thing again. Nice to know that we have a Mason on the team. His style of play reminds me a bit of Chris Paul. He's excellent at setting up teammates and doesn't appear to be looking for his own shot. But if given the minutes, he'll end up with double digit points, and you won't remember when he got them. And no, I'm not saying that he's going to be the next Chris Paul. That would be a nice problem to have though. :cool:
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#15
Not surprised at all by Mason being the better player than Fox at the moment, he played four years in college and he's played in big tournament games year in and year out. He isn't phased by anything. I love the draft pick, hope he finds a place in the league for the long term, preferably for the Kings.
 
#16
Franks one of the reasons I think think taking the kiddie gloves off is necessary sooner than later, by the end of the year he's going to be 24! That's not young at all for a rookie. In fact that's even a bit old for a 4 year player and one of the reasons he lasted until the 2nd round. This team isn't nearly as young as they make it out to be.
 
#17
Franks one of the reasons I think think taking the kiddie gloves off is necessary sooner than later, by the end of the year he's going to be 24! That's not young at all for a rookie. In fact that's even a bit old for a 4 year player and one of the reasons he lasted until the 2nd round. This team isn't nearly as young as they make it out to be.
I think it is easy to look at age when thinking youth, but I think that is a mistake. Games played is much more important IMO. It's why we used to consider 27-33 a player's prime, and now a player is "old" if they're over 30.
 
#18
I’ve certainly never been one with purple colored glasses, and I think the Fox should be an All Star point guard and Mason could be a very good backup point guard.

That Mason is more effective and closer to his ceiling than Fox at this point is neither suprising nor material to that analysis.

That some of you would consider pushing a natural point guard, who will have a streaky shot and slender frame for a while —- a guy who is the Kings only blue chip prospect—- out of position to accomdate non elite prospect who projects as a very good backup is fairly nuts.
 
#19
Fox is 6'4" so with some weight he should have no problem checking them.
Fox is 6'3.25 (in shoes) with a 6'6.5 wingspan. Even if he adds 20lbs, I don't think he'll ever be able to guard SGs. Just too small and not enough length to contest 3s. I'm just hoping Fox can add enough weight to check PGs lol

I’ve certainly never been one with purple colored glasses, and I think the Fox should be an All Star point guard and Mason could be a very good backup point guard.

That Mason is more effective and closer to his ceiling than Fox at this point is neither suprising nor material to that analysis.

That some of you would consider pushing a natural point guard, who will have a streaky shot and slender frame for a while —- a guy who is the Kings only blue chip prospect—- out of position to accomdate non elite prospect who projects as a very good backup is fairly nuts.
I don't think Fox is much of a natural PG. I see him as as scoring PG. Maybe a Kyrie Irving without a jumper.

I think it is easy to look at age when thinking youth, but I think that is a mistake. Games played is much more important IMO. It's why we used to consider 27-33 a player's prime, and now a player is "old" if they're over 30.
Have to disagree with this. Age is an extremely important factor no matter what level you play in. Just in general, the older you are, the closer you are to your physical peak. You've also had more years of playing basketball in general, even if it's not the NBA. You've had more time to establish yourself as a basketball player. It's really rare to see players make large leaps in their games passed age 24 imo.
This is what I mean:
24 yearsold, rating 40/100. Peak is 60/100
24 yearsold, rating 60/100. Peak is 80/100

At a certain age, there's only so much you can get better. I'm not saying Mason is capped out, but I think at this age, what you see is kinda what you get. Only exception for the age thing is if they're an elite athlete. 24 is that number.. and it's probably why I'm not high on a lot of our guys lol.
 
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#20
Guys that are new to the NBA at 24 years old can grow their game a lot. The resources available in the NBA are greater than anywhere else. Trainers, Nutrituionists, Experienced NBA Players and Coaches all are available to allow growth in a Players abilities.

IT is a good example.
 
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#21
Fox is 6'3.25 (in shoes) with a 6'6.5 wingspan. Even if he adds 20lbs, I don't think he'll ever be able to guard SGs. Just too small and not enough length to contest 3s. I'm just hoping Fox can add enough weight to check PGs lol


I don't think Fox is much of a natural PG. I see him as as scoring PG. Maybe a Kyrie Irving without a jumper.


Have to disagree with this. Age is an extremely important factor no matter what level you play in. Just in general, the older you are, the closer you are to your physical peak. You've also had more years of playing basketball in general, even if it's not the NBA. You've had more time to establish yourself as a basketball player. It's really rare to see players make large leaps in their games passed age 24 imo.
This is what I mean:
24 yearsold, rating 40/100. Peak is 60/100
24 yearsold, rating 60/100. Peak is 80/100

At a certain age, there's only so much you can get better. I'm not saying Mason is capped out, but I think at this age, what you see is kinda what you get. Only exception for the age thing is if they're an elite athlete. 24 is that number.. and it's probably why I'm not high on a lot of our guys lol.
Men physically don't hit their peak until they are about 27. Just because the body stops getting taller doesn't mean it is not still growing. Most men continue to grow (or fill out) in their upper body and chest area.
 

SacTownKid

Hall of Famer
#22
I think it is easy to look at age when thinking youth, but I think that is a mistake. Games played is much more important IMO. It's why we used to consider 27-33 a player's prime, and now a player is "old" if they're over 30.

That's true and it's because of this, the incoming NBA player even at a younger age than some of these guys is an entirely different beast than at one point in time. Many of these players have not only had at least 1 year at the college level, but they are also integrated into serious high level competition with the same contemporaries they are typically drafted with at a very early age. They are much farther along than a 19 year old would have been 20 years ago because they are being groomed for the NBA so much earlier. Not as high level as the European game but similar. People thought Papagiannis wouldn't be able to dribble and chew gum last year. He's been playing professional ball for a few years now. I'm OK with some of the real young guys like Fox, PapaG, maybe even Skal getting some time to soak, but the ship is sinking and lets not act like a 1st or 2nd year player in the 22-25 range can't handle the opportunity. If they can't, or other steps need to be taken, then you need to find that out now. That is my entire point in all this. Rebuilding isn't just player development, it's mostly about management decisions. The more knowledge you get about the players comes with the more experience and time they get on the floor. You can't hide your highest level prospects against other teams benches and pretend it's the G league. The young players are the only things the Kings really have in their bag in terms of value, and they are letting it crash.
 
#23
Time for Hill to be benched. Been awefull. Time for him to earn his mins after an injury happens. I want him at the bottom of the bench and his mins to go to Malachi
Nice thought for the young guys but not wise to bench one of our better more experienced players. Bench Carter and it might not hurt the team much but to bench Hill, Zbo, Koufos would clearly hurt our team. Good as they are, I’m not sure that Hill isn’t the best of the three point guards.
 
#25
Mason is a strong player. He is like a bigger version of IT. He can drive on people and break down defenses and still shoot outside. He is a good passer and I expect his assists to go up. His quickness allows him to play defense. For a first year player he is very impressive. There is no doubt that he put in his time in college, and does not need the D, G, or ABC League. He is already a fan favorite.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#28
Fox is 6'3.25 (in shoes) with a 6'6.5 wingspan. Even if he adds 20lbs, I don't think he'll ever be able to guard SGs. Just too small and not enough length to contest 3s. I'm just hoping Fox can add enough weight to check PGs lol


I don't think Fox is much of a natural PG. I see him as as scoring PG. Maybe a Kyrie Irving without a jumper.


Have to disagree with this. Age is an extremely important factor no matter what level you play in. Just in general, the older you are, the closer you are to your physical peak. You've also had more years of playing basketball in general, even if it's not the NBA. You've had more time to establish yourself as a basketball player. It's really rare to see players make large leaps in their games passed age 24 imo.
This is what I mean:
24 yearsold, rating 40/100. Peak is 60/100
24 yearsold, rating 60/100. Peak is 80/100

At a certain age, there's only so much you can get better. I'm not saying Mason is capped out, but I think at this age, what you see is kinda what you get. Only exception for the age thing is if they're an elite athlete. 24 is that number.. and it's probably why I'm not high on a lot of our guys lol.
This is nonsense.. I've been arguing against this for years on this forum. There is certainly an age where your physically as developed as your going to get. A point where your not going to jump higher, run faster, improve your lateral quickness etc. But the idea that you can't improve your skill level is ridiculous. The more time you put in developing your ball handling, shooting, and overall game skills depending on your position, the better you'll become. It took Jason Kidd years to become a good three point shooter. Ditto Magic Johnson. I could spend days naming players that got better and better as the years went on. Larry Bird said that every offseason he always developed a new wrinkle to his game because they always figured out how to defend the old wrinkle. Game experience alone will make you better without you knowing it. The game will just become easier.

Everyone remembers Gary Payton as one of the best defending PG's in the league, but in his first two or three years in the league, he was downright terrible. This stuff doesn't happen overnight. I get tired of saying that there are no shortcuts, and what you see today, isn't what you'll see three or four years from now. So Mason is going to turn 25 years of age. So what? Lets say he is our backup PG of the future, which doesn't seem like a stretch. At what age will he become unserviceable? 32, 33, maybe if we stretch it out, 35 years of age. That would mean we would have him for 8 to 10 years. What's the longest any player has been on the Kings for the last ten years? Has any player lasted even 8 years in the last 10 years? So what's the worry about Mason turning 25? Just pure nonsense!!!!!

Edit: You also stated that you don't see Fox as a natural PG, whatever that really means in today's NBA. Well, you had better tell him that, because he spends more time trying to set people up than he does trying to score. The kid is trying to figure things out so give him a break and let go of the fact we didn't draft Dennis Smith, who really is more of a scoring PG. Right now, Fox has played close to an entire college season in games played. Huge adjustment. He'll go into the offseason with the knowledge necessary to prepare for next season.
 
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#29
This is nonsense.. I've been arguing against this for years on this forum. There is certainly an age where your physically as developed as your going to get. A point where your not going to jump higher, run faster, improve your lateral quickness etc. But the idea that you can't improve your skill level is ridiculous. The more time you put in developing your ball handling, shooting, and overall game skills depending on your position, the better you'll become. It took Jason Kidd years to become a good three point shooter. Ditto Magic Johnson. I could spend days naming players that got better and better as the years went on. Larry Bird said that every offseason he always developed a new wrinkle to his game because they always figured out how to defend the old wrinkle. Game experience alone will make you better without you knowing it. The game will just become easier.

Everyone remembers Gary Payton as one of the best defending PG's in the league, but in his first two or three years in the league, he was downright terrible. This stuff doesn't happen overnight. I get tired of saying that there are no shortcuts, and what you see today, isn't what you'll see three or four years from now. So Mason is going to turn 25 years of age. So what? Lets say he is our backup PG of the future, which doesn't seem like a stretch. At what age will he become unserviceable? 32, 33, maybe if we stretch it out, 35 years of age. That would mean we would have him for 8 to 10 years. What's the longest any player has been on the Kings for the last ten years? Has any player lasted even 8 years in the last 10 years? So what's the worry about Mason turning 25? Just pure nonsense!!!!!

Edit: You also stated that you don't see Fox as a natural PG, whatever that really means in today's NBA. Well, you had better tell him that, because he spends more time trying to set people up than he does trying to score. The kid is trying to figure things out so give him a break and let go of the fact we didn't draft Dennis Smith, who really is more of a scoring PG. Right now, Fox has played close to an entire college season in games played. Huge adjustment. He'll go into the offseason with the knowledge necessary to prepare for next season.

Why are we even debating this? Mentioning Payton, Kidd, and Bird? I don't see any flashes of greatness from Fox in twenty something games. Will he be a good pg? Who knows. Tyreke was 10times better than Fox in his first year as a one dimensional player. Who couldn't shoot, play D, or see the floor. Sure, different body types and styles. Right Now, I see Efrid Payton as a more likely comparison to Fox. Hyper athletic, can't shoot, and is inconsistent defensively. Same body type, same skill set. Sure, Fox is younger. So, there is still hope. But, I am sure Magic fans were saying the thing about Payton after his rookie year.
 
#30
Mason is a strong player. He is like a bigger version of IT. He can drive on people and break down defenses and still shoot outside. He is a good passer and I expect his assists to go up. His quickness allows him to play defense. For a first year player he is very impressive. There is no doubt that he put in his time in college, and does not need the D, G, or ABC League. He is already a fan favorite.
Mason reminds me of a current HOF'er and a future HOF'er.
I think a good comparison would be Houston Rockets great, Calvin Murphy with Some Chris Paul passing savvy BBIQ.

Mason could be that good.