Weaknesses
Like every other draft prospect, Mason obviously isn’t the complete player by any means. Unlike many of his peers, though, the primary concerns surrounding his potential fit are much less skill-focused.
With four years of playing at a very high level behind him, Mason is a known commodity. What remains unknown is whether what worked for him in college will continue to work against bigger and more athletic opponents.
Mason’s size would see him join an exclusive club of sub six-footers in the NBA that currently includes the likes of Isaiah Thomas and Ty Lawson. As much as the success of both of those men should serve as encouragement for Mason’s NBA potential, they both serve as exceptions rather than common occurrences.
As a point guard, how Mason would cope with being unable to see over his defenders is an important question. Would he be much less of a distributor at the pro level? Even more importantly, while his shot would seem incredibly appealing to NBA teams looking to keep up with an increasingly three-point dominant league, would he be able to execute as effectively over bigger defenders?
Milwaukee’s own Malcolm Brogdon serves as an example of an opponent at the same position who would tower over Mason in terms of height (6’6″ vs. 5’11”) and wingspan (6’11” vs. 6’3″).
For those reasons, there’s going to be an element of risk in drafting Mason, as for all of his skill only time will tell if he can find a way to make it work in the NBA.