Milwaukee Bucks: To buy or sell on Frank Mason III in free agency
By Cody Larson
Milwaukee Bucks: To buy or sell on Frank Mason III in free agency – What to sell
What to sell in regards to Mason is no secret. He has been hearing the same criticism likely ever since he first picked up a basketball. That criticism has to do with his small stature, even for being slotted at the point guard spot. Again, Mason stands at 5-foot-11, weighing 190 pounds while possession only a 6-foot-3 wingspan.
Usually, guards of Mason’s stature come with a checklist of subsequent concerns in relation to their smaller build. Those include questions like being able to create space for themselves, finishing at the rim with consistency and avoid becoming a liability on the defensive end.
The first two questions actually are not of much concern with Mason, as we discussed when buying what he brings to the table. But the question about his status as a defensive liability might still be up for debate, at least when placed in Milwaukee’s defensive scheme.
The Bucks religiously resort to running their drop-back coverage when defending pick-and-roll situations. This puts a ton of pressure on the on-ball defender to fight through screens in order to stick with the ball handler. Mason’s small size hurts him here, and while he is not one to hide from physicality, he is not of Eric Bledsoe or George Hill’s caliber by any means.
If Mason cannot successfully defend in drop coverage for large chunks of the game, what value does he really hold for a drop-reliant Milwaukee team?
The counter-argument would point to just how great the rest of the Bucks’ roster is at defending in drop coverage, specifically their big men. One could suggest that if Mason does struggle when defending the pick-and-roll via drop coverage, the likes of Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo would be able to pick up his slack. Milwaukee could also attempt to hide Mason on a less dribble-heavy guard, as long as the height discrepancy is not too large.
Long story short, yes, there might be some worries to having Mason on the defensive end of floor, specifically a Bucks-occupied defensive end of the floor. This is the case with essentially every last height-hindered point guard in the league. On the bright side, Mason is certainly not one to slouch on defense, and Milwaukee has the accompanying pieces to help him in drop coverage.
It is fair to say that the pros of having Mason in a Bucks uniform next season definitely outweigh the cons, at least from a skills perspective. There are underlying variables to bringing him back indefinitely though. With that being said, here is look into those before finally reaching a verdict.