Frank Mason: OKC Thunder NBA Draft prospect series

Mar 25, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Frank Mason III (0) guards Oregon Ducks guard Payton Pritchard (3) during the second half in the finals of the Midwest Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

Kansas senior Frank Mason is the true definition of ‘sleeper’ in this draft class .

Frank Mason III is among a group of point guards projected to be chosen late in the second round. The irony is this senior may end up playing more minutes next season than some of his lottery bound competitors.

Arguably point guards benefit more than any other position by remaining in College beyond their freshman season. I’ll point you to the Portland Trail Blazers backcourt (Damian Lillard/CJ McCollum) and Bucks Malcolm Brogdon as perfect examples.

This season’s draft class is chock full of point guards projected to be selected in the lottery portion of draft night. But, don’t sleep on some second round point guards like Mason who not only have the potential to gain playing time, but could also immediately produce tangible benefits.

Though Mason’s rank is well below the 21st selection of the Thunder, his skill set could offer Sam Presti with a reason to consider buying in to the second round.

Specifics:

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 185 lbs

Wingspan: 6′ 3.75″

Position: Point Guard

Age: 23 years, 2 months

Statline: 20.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 47.1 percent from perimeter

College: Kansas (Senior)

Home Town: Petersburg, Virginia

Current rankings:

Note, rankings are updated on day of writing, and are subject to change.

DraftExpress: 46th

NBA DraftNet: 53rd

Scott Howard-Cooper nba.com: ranks 9th in Howard-Cooper’s top 10 point guards

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor: 47th

CBS Sports: 49th

Basketball Insiders: 41st

Skills:

Frank Mason possesses a virtual cornucopia of offensive weapons. Create a check list of scoring variables and be prepared to mark them all off.

can change pace (and is explosive off his first step)
drives the ball
scores from field
scores on perimeter
ambidextrous (can use either hand to score at rim)
possesses a floater he can score with
catch and shoot
pull-up shot
creates and shoots off the dribble
step back shot
can score via isolation
easily draw fouls because of his aggressive nature

I mean, it’s hard not to stop and take another glance at this plethora of scoring tools and not envision Mason ending up providing serviceable minutes for an NBA squad immediately.

Mason is also an excellent ball handler whether attacking in transition or in the half court. Despite his diminutive size his reach is deceiving (6’3 1/4″) and he possesses a shocking 41″ maximum vertical leap!

And, on top of all this he’s a bulldog defender who plays as aggressively on the defensive end of the hardwood as he does when running the offense.

Weaknesses:

After review of Mason’s skillset you’re wondering how the heck is he ranked to go mid to late second round. The answer to this question is three-fold.

Size– simply put Mason is small. He’s shy of 6′ and his 185 pounds (while chiseled) will pose problems especially guarding taller or stronger guards. Undoubtedly, his size will affect how he his guarded and will limit his court vision.

Stigma of staying school: whether teams want to admit it or not there is a stigma associated with players who remain in school longer

His pluses can also be minuses – To wit, Frank Mason only knows one mode and that is attack. The irony is while GM’s look for players who play in that mode (um look no further then the All-Star OKC starting point guard) it can also serve as a deterrent. In Mason’s case it can lead to turnovers or him forgetting to involve or create for his teammates enough.

Honors and awards:

Big XII, Player of the Year, 2017

2017, Big XII All-Conference 1st Team

Maui Invitational Most Valuable Player, 2016

Big XII All Defensive Team, 2016

Pro Comparison:

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer provided a ceiling comparison for each of his prospects. O’Connor’s list pegs Collins ceiling as Jameer Nelson, Tim Frazier, Yogi Ferrell.

I buy into the Ferrell comparison, but while he’s not as small as JJ Barea or Nate Robinson they seem more like the appropriate doppelgangers for Mason.

The fit:

More from Thunderous Intentions

Here’s the thing, this kid definitely fits the OKC Thunder mode. He’s passionate, driven to succeed and is a straight up, knock down, lethal sharpshooter. The problem however, is what the Thunder need, particularly from their backup point guard is a playmaker who can create for the team. That’s not necessarily who Mason is.

If it was a matter of simply getting scoring off the bench I’d say take a flier on the kid. In fact, I’d suggest if Presti can buy cheaply into the late second round (where Mason is likely to go) he should do so. And, most definitely if Mason falls out of the draft (unimaginable) Presti should corner him immediately to get him on the Summer League squad.

Sleeper worth a second and third look:

While the NBA is moving to small ball with an emphasis on athletes who can guard multiple positions let’s not forget there will always be room for scrappy athletes who defend like their life depended on it. And most importantly, there will always be room for players who can score regardless of their size. I’m still shaking my head at the 49 percent from the field, 47.1 percent from the perimeter and 79.4 free throw percent. In comparison, Isaiah Thomas (who is 5’8″) played three seasons at Washington and in his final year his stats for those three categories were: 44.5 FG percent, 34.9 three point percent and 71.9 free throw percent.

I’m not saying all small guards will achieve similar success to Thomas, but Mason possesses the same mentality as Westbrook and got better each year in Kansas. Although OKC haven’t always had great success with second round picks, my gut says Mason (like Thomas) will end up proving a lot of people wrong.

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