It was announced Thursday morning that Milwaukee Bucks two-way player Frank Mason III was named as the G League’s Most Valuable Player for the 2019-20 season.
The Milwaukee Bucks don’t have just one Most Valuable Player on their roster anymore.
On Thursday morning, the G League announced the 2019-20 G League Most Valuable Player and the honor went to none other than Bucks two-way player Frank Mason III for his sensational campaign, his first within the Bucks organization.
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Even saying Mason’s campaign was sensational might be selling it short as Mason asserted himself as one of the top talents in the G League as well as on a two-way contract, thanks to his lethal three-level scoring ability and relentless penetration at the basket.
That led to Mason finishing as the G League’s leading scorer for the year as he averaged 26.4 points on .504/.425/.815 shooting splits, along with 5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals across his 23 appearances with the Herd this season.
Not for nothing, but the Herd were 18-5 when Mason was in the starting lineup this season.
In the Herd’s press release celebrating Mason’s honor, Herd general manager Dave Dean reflected on the former Jayhawk’s monumental campaign while playing with the Herd and the G League as a whole:
"“As was evident by his production and contribution, Frank embraced his opportunity while with us,” said Milwaukee Bucks Vice President of Basketball Operations and Wisconsin Herd General Manager Dave Dean. “It was a privilege to watch him play and develop, and his growth over the course of the season was nothing short of tremendous.”"
Herd head coach Chase Buford also provided a statement and touched on how this honor and Mason’s NBA-caliber game goes beyond just his abilities on the court:
"“Frank has been an unbelievable point guard and leader for us all season,” said Wisconsin Herd Head Coach Chase Buford. “Throughout the season, he proved that he is an NBA caliber player, and this deserved recognition clearly reflects that. Frank is a high-quality person and teammate, and that impresses me most.”"
It’s also worth noting that Mason’s teammate and backcourt partner, Jaylen Adams, finished second in G League MVP voting and was nothing short of fantastic in his own right. Adams finished the season averaging 21.5 points on a .486/.407/.788 slash line, along with 5.7 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals across his 33 appearances with the Herd.
But this latest honor of Mason’s only continues what has been a decorated basketball career. After all, Mason came to the NBA carrying a pedigree as one of the most accomplished players to pass through the University of Kansas and topped off his four years by winning the Naismith Player of the Year for the 2016-17 season.
Following his two wayward years with the Sacramento Kings, who selected Mason with the 34th overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft, Mason bounced back in the face of adversity after falling out of the NBA nearly a year ago, only to tap back into what made him a special talent on the collegiate level. And the Herd and the Bucks as a whole obviously reaped the rewards as a result.
Where it will take him into the future and what it means for his time in Milwaukee remains to be seen, but there’s no question that Mason made his mark within the organization to this point. Congrats, Frank!