Milwaukee Bucks two-way player Frank Mason III has been a steadying presence for the Wisconsin Herd this season and has displayed progress in areas that needed shoring up to resuscitate his NBA career.
Entering the new year, the Wisconsin Herd have established themselves as a team to beat in the G League.
Their 15-4 record helps them stand atop the Eastern Conference and their 78.9 winning percentage only trails the Salt Lake City Stars and the Memphis Hustle in all of the G League. Of course, the Herd have only just embarked on an interesting stretch following the departure of Rayjon Tucker after his call up to the Utah Jazz late last month.
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But if the play of Bucks two-way player Frank Mason III is any indication, the Herd will still be in good hands moving forward as they pursue their first trip to the postseason in their three-year history.
There was plenty of reason to project why Mason could be an interesting pickup after the Bucks signed him to one of their two-way contracts after the Sacramento Kings cut bait with him at the start of the free agency period last summer.
And when Mason’s been on hand for the Herd this season, that’s shone through in his play, and the influence he’s held on the Bucks’ affiliate. In his nine appearances for the Herd this 2019-20 season, Mason is averaging 23.9 points on .457/.413/.793 shooting splits, 5.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds in over 33 minutes per contest.
The 25-year-old’s scoring talents have been unleashed in the G League setting under his leading role with the Herd where he leads the team with his 26.6 usage percentage. It’s been Mason’s improved outside shooting that has been the most appealing of his multi-dimensional scoring ability, especially after he struggled to acclimate to the NBA 3-point line during his two years with the Kings, where he went 30 percent from that range.
The strongest attribute in Mason’s marksmanship has been his proclivity to can triples when pulling up in transition and generally, off the dribble, where 54.8 percent of Mason’s 31 treys have been unassisted this season. And for Mason to sustain a strong 3-point percentage on a very high volume of attempts has been encouraging to see as he’s attempting 8.3 3-pointers per game so far.
Mason’s ability to lead the Herd’s offense, which ranks sixth in offensive efficiency this season, has revealed his floor general qualities as he is second on the team with 5.6 assists per game and has the second-highest assist-to-turnover ratio (1.61) of rotation regulars. That’s especially remarkable for a Herd team that is currently tied with the Iowa Wolves for the lowest assist percentage in the league at 51.6 percent.
Overall, the Herd’s offense performs slightly better than their current offensive rating in the 297 minutes when Mason is on the floor, where they’re posting 110.1 points per 100 possessions. Without Mason on the court, that number ticks down to 108.4 points per 100 possessions.
That’s not exactly a glowing endorsement of Mason’s effect on the Herd, but it should be noted that the former Jayhawk’s thigh injury limited him to nine appearances with the Herd over the course of the team’s 12-game win streak which greatly affected their incredible statistical profile this season.
The one remaining weakness in Mason’s scoring that will continue to be a concern is his ability to penetrate the paint and finish around the basket. Given Mason’s small stature, the size disadvantage he has in trying to finish through contact or in traffic has limited him to converting 55.4 percent of his 56 attempts within the restricted area so far.
That was already an issue for Mason as he struggled to establish himself with the Kings earlier in his career and the added physicality all across the board will continue to be a significant hurdle for Mason to overcome as he looks to earn a shot back in the NBA.
And it’s on that note where Mason’s future with the Bucks will be an interesting topic with two-way contracts becoming fully guaranteed and locked in for the rest of the season on January 15. As of this writing, Mason has only made four appearances with the squad and received one DNP-CD in one other game where he dressed for potential action.
Being only allotted 45 days up on his two-way contract, it appears as though Mason’s service time with the Bucks leaves him with enough service days where they’ll look to keep him around the rest of the season (though, we have no confirmed number at this moment). And the same could apply to fellow two-way player Cam Reynolds, who has to yet to make an appearance with the Bucks this season, but his recent shooting struggles put him in a more precarious position.
And it’s Mason’s performance with the Herd this season that show why it might be best for the Bucks to keep the one-time Naismith Player of the Year on board, should they need his services in a pinch as the Bucks continue their quest to compile the best record in the NBA for the second straight year. Time will tell if the Bucks’ brass sees it that way.