After an impressive few seasons as the lead guard at Kansas concluded with a Naismith College Player of the Year award, what will the NBA Draft hold for Frank Mason III?
Who is Frank Mason III?
A 5’11” point guard from Petersburg, Virginia, Frank Mason III has just concluded an illustrious career at one of the most reputable programs in college basketball, and yet he’s still somewhat flying under the radar in the run-up to the NBA Draft.
At the end of his senior year, Mason picked up a host of notable awards including the Naismith College Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year, Bob Cousy Award, and The Oscar Robertson Trophy.
After taking a major step forward in terms of production as a senior, there was little doubt of Mason being a deserving winner of those accolades, but he’s still much more than a one-season wonder.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
Mason has been a starter since his sophomore season as a Jayhawk, picking up a host of meaningful experience as a key component of Bill Self’s team.
While his height will be one of the first things to stand out to most avid NBA watchers, Mason’s game is incredibly well-rounded beyond that initial obvious weakness.
To get a better sense of that, let’s take a closer look at Mason’s game, analyzing his strengths, weaknesses and how he’d fit with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Strengths
Throughout his time at Kansas, Mason has shown the ability to assert himself and excel as a lead guard.
With a mixture of good court awareness, a blistering change of pace in transition, and a soft shooting touch, Mason possesses most of the key skills that NBA teams look for in their floor generals.
Mason arrived in Kansas as a good shooter, and has only improved in the four years since. For his career as a Jayhawk, the 23-year-old averaged 42 percent from three-point range. Even more impressive is the fact that culminated with a senior year where he shot 47.1 percent on 4.8 triple attempts per game.
Adept in both catch-and-shoot and pull-up scenarios, Mason is a versatile and dynamic shooter.
He’s also incredibly dangerous when he catches sight of the open court. Perhaps buoyed by his low center of gravity, Mason is a fast and shifty mover who can carve opposing defenses apart in transition, and is a competent and wily finisher when he gets to the rim.
Considering he can often play at such speed, it’s impressive how well Mason takes care of the ball too. For his four years in college, Mason posted an assist to turnover ratio of better than 2:1. Even though he’s not instantly associated with being a distributor, he also averaged 5.2 assists per game as a senior.
While it’s this nice mix of skills that obviously allowed Mason to play at such a high level in the first place, it’s his work ethic and determination that has allowed him to overcome the disadvantage of being a smaller player.
Mason was a surprisingly solid defender in college, often showing good positional awareness, and almost always fighting to offer a good contest or forceful ball denial. If Mason is to pan out in the NBA, bringing that same level of grit to the table will be essential.
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.
What the Experts Say
(As of 6/6/17)
DraftExpress (Jonathan Givony): 48th
ESPN (Chad Ford): 45th
The Ringer (Kevin O’Connor): 40th
Sporting News (Sam Vecenie): 37th
Chad Ford of ESPN describes how Mason’s skills all point to him being a success in the NBA, and that we’d all likely be hearing a lot more about him if not for his height.
"“If Mason were three to four inches taller, he might be a lottery pick. Super tough, fast and devastating both at the rim and shooting from 3-point territory, he has been a legit NCAA player of the year candidate all season. Most NBA scouts don’t really love little guards, but Mason’s game fits the profile of the smaller guards who do succeed in the NBA.”"
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer points out one of the key traits and buzzwords you tend to hear associated with Mason. Grit.
"“A tough-guy point guard who plays with intensity and fearlessness, which helps make up for his lack of size.”"
Fit with the Bucks
Having just had great success drafting a highly decorated, older, senior prospect in Malcolm Brogdon last year, there’d be an element of the familiar about the Bucks opting for a prospect like Mason in the second round.
Smart, determined and hard-working with plenty of high-level experience already behind him, Mason does have a number of similar characteristics in terms of personality, but it’s what makes the two different as players that could be really intriguing for the Bucks.
While Brogdon and Matthew Dellavedova offer solid 3-and-D point guard options, both men are lacking the ability to change things up with their play off the dribble. At times last season the Bucks were crying out for a guard who could up the tempo and offer a change of pace, and Mason certainly fits that bill.
Having a guard who has to be respected for their own ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket should create more space for the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, but also for Milwaukee’s three-point shooters on kick-out opportunities.
Beyond that, in offering something a little different, Mason still doesn’t give up anything in terms of the shooting ability of Milwaukee’s guard corps. In fact, Mason is comfortably the best shooter of the three coming out of college.
Next: NBA Draft 2017 Prospect Watch: John Collins
Mason has a proven track record and a personality that suggest he’ll do all that he can to succeed. His age means there isn’t a ton of upside, but if he can come in and play at the kind of level he showed himself to be capable of in college, he’d be an excellent addition.