Mason

[Django]

Delete or ignore this if you want but I have an idea and my intention is to create a healthier discussion than what’s been happening in other threads re MM.

My idea is simple and it can easily be used for Green. Mason is in a shooting slump and lacks great lateral movement and bulk. But he CAN run fast and jump high. So why not draw up a bunch of back door cutting plays or high ball screen switching with Kalk where he can get some easy dunks? I know he’s also been missing bunnies but I don’t think those were designed with him getting space. Ash was cold (and flu) in the Butler game from three so he warmed himself up by taking it to the paint where he was brilliant. And then he finally hit one in the second half during cluth time. Ash and Neal are the only ones who can create their own chances, so it’s not just Miller who is unable to do it.

If we can get Mason some easy dunks it would help him get out of his funk.

[HaRdWoOd]

I cant say I have ever heard anyone say "we need to draw up more plays for the guy shooting 14% from the field".
Kalk shoots 67%, can we get him more shots too?

[bluejayfan00]

This has to be one of the more unintentionally funny threads ever started.

Yes, let's run MORE for a guy who can't make an open shot. In order to get him comfortable, let's get a guy who doesn't have more than 1 dunk in a Bluejay uniform going to the rim to DUNK.

It's not like the guy panics as if he catches a bomb every time he gets the ball and he's not stationary. I love this plan

[cujaysfan]

DA was great about getting back door looks and it was a regular part of his offense.

It's kind of a rare thing for Mac to run - even though it would be a great way to keep defenses honest on our corner shooters. Part of the issue IMO is having spot up shooters who can't really put the ball on the deck (Mason). McAndrew seems miles ahead on being able to dribble and drive over MM and JG

Last edited by cujaysfan on Mon Jan 13, 2025 12:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[HandDownManDown]

What I know is we keep playing Mason and we keep playing well as a team when he’s in.

It’s happened enough for me to be (at this point) fine with that setup. I’m not a hoops junkie and can’t break it down but when good things keep happening I’ll accept that maybe there are reasons for that, and just let it be.

[Angry Dan]

What I know is we keep playing Mason and we keep playing well as a team when he’s in.

It’s happened enough for me to be (at this point) fine with that setup. I’m not a hoops junkie and can’t break it down but when good things keep happening I’ll accept that maybe there are reasons for that, and just let it be.

When you posted “Let It Be” the Beatles entered my head, great record but then they broke up…but that is a different deal.

I am totally with you on this. Last Thursday at the luncheon at Casios (I know I said this before ) Mac said Mason hits the shots in practice. Mac also said that as a coach he is not quick to give up on his players, even if they are in a slump.

Mason has been part of Mac’s attack for a long time now. Mason makes the spacing happen that we need for Kalk and the others, part of the good things that happen when Mason is on the floor.

[LJay]

Bwahahahaha, he may be slow to give up on players but he is also slow to trust new players so they ever get a chance to show their stuff.

[Chicagojayfan]

What I know is we keep playing Mason and we keep playing well as a team when he’s in.

It’s happened enough for me to be (at this point) fine with that setup. I’m not a hoops junkie and can’t break it down but when good things keep happening I’ll accept that maybe there are reasons for that, and just let it be.

When you posted “Let It Be” the Beatles entered my head, great record but then they broke up…but that is a different deal.

I am totally with you on this. Last Thursday at the luncheon at Casios (I know I said this before ) Mac said Mason hits the shots in practice. Mac also said that as a coach he is not quick to give up on his players, even if they are in a slump.

Mason has been part of Mac’s attack for a long time now. Mason makes the spacing happen that we need for Kalk and the others, part of the good things that happen when Mason is on the floor.

someone in the other thread said if they were a coach, they'd have their defender laying off of him at this point. I think most of the league knows how he can shoot and they are reluctant to be the one that doesn't defend him close and gets him hot in a game. I've defended him because the team has played well with him on the court - he does get respect from the D, he moves decisively without the ball and in the way Mac wants, and has played well defensively on a variety of guys. But that said, he has to start hitting some shots for us to be as good as we can be.

Kalkbrenner is currently our highest % 3Pt shooter (crazy!), with Traudt at .373, McAndrew at .367 (FWIW, the true frosh is getting 18.6mpg and is a prime scoring option when he's on the floor), and Ash at .351 (too many ballhandling demands, too many minutes, and we just rely on him too much for him to not keep shooting). Neal's been streaky but has improved to .322 this year, and Green's at .286. Miller's shooting terrible, but he's only put up 26 so far this year and that's the definition of a small sample size (in the let if fly world, that's 2-3 games). He's at .383 career with a total of 188 taken (so even including this terrible year, he's still way above average for 3 PT shooting). He has to be looking for his shot and taking the shots to start knocking them down, but he looks to have a lack of confidence after missing the summer w/ the broken leg.

In a perfect world, Fedor is in the flow and is the extra ballhandler we need, but he's still a work in progress and our offense is pretty much Kalk and Ashworth getting the most usage and Neal filling in the gaps, and that means we need to mix-and-match the forwards to give those 3 enough defense, rebounding and space. If Miller starts shooting anything like he did last year, it can have a big impact on the team. We should hope he does because it gets us that much slower to a bid and a chance to make a decent run this year, even with the injury to Pop

[cujaysfan]

That is pretty funny in that Mac absolutely plays the numbers.

And he would definitely be using MM's defender to help or double post or something.

And then Miller would drop five threes on us out if nowhere

We've seen that happen about 100 times.

[chairclanger]

It's always fun to root for the underdog. Everyone is down on Mason right now. He looks like a golfer with the yips. To get out of his slump, I think he needs to hit a couple of contested 3s where he doesn't have time to think about shooting. Catch and fire. He's a good shooter. At some point he's going to bust out of his slump and win a game for us. In Mac I trust.