Why can't Nate Mason play in the NBA?

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BillyGopher

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I know he's never going to be a star but I don't see any reason why 2-4 years after he graduates he doesn't find himself a starting role on an NBA team. I think if makes a name for himself in the NCAA tournament over the next two year could have him as a projected non-drafted out of college into a potential lottery pick. The reasons I believe he can play at next level:

-He's undersized(he's probably 6'1 tops), but there are plenty NBA PGs under 6'3
-He's great slashing/finishing around the basket
-High level passer
-Has proven to hit deep 3s when left open
-Does an excellent job not turning the ball over
-He can create his own shot from both outside the perimeter and inside the paint
-Has high percentage FG rate when left open with his feet planted
-High basketball IQ
-Excellent FT shooter
-Competes against some of the best defenses in the NCAA(Big Ten)
-Puts up 17+ PPG in Big Ten play despite not being surrounded by anyone top 100 talented

What aspects does he need to improve on the most to get drafted?
I only really care because I want an NBA team to follow/root for and it's going to take a Gopher to get me back into it.

I think it's fair to compare Nate with guys who have been around the league for years like Jameer Nelson(6'0), Ty Lawson (5'11) or Patty Mills (6'0)

I think Nate has a higher upside than Amir and I think Amir be a very passable starting SG in the NBA some day

I have not been into the NBA since Pierce/Walker/Battie/Anderson/Williams/McCarty Boston Celtics lost to the Nets in the '02 Eastern Conference playoffs.
 

He needs to improve his mid range jumper, and learn to finish better at the rim. The good news is that he has another year to work on those things.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Mason does remind me a little of Tre Burke. Although Burke's NBA career is trending in the wrong direction.

Coffey still has the highest NBA potential on the team.
 

PitinoFan said:
He needs to improve his mid range jumper, and learn to finish better at the rim. The good news is that he has another year to work on those things.
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The NCAA 3 point shot is practically a mid range shot in the NBA right? I'm not to be taken serious as far as talent evaluation but I think he's got a very quick first and 2nd step in the lane when he drives to the basket. I think he does a good job of finishing in traffic/drawing a foul/hitting a cutter

I think if he and Murphy can develop a strong alley op game next season it will definitely draw scout's eyes on Nate. It's such a common play in the NBA. This Gopher team does everything pretty well but very thin with the alley ops. I really don't care, just an observation. Murphy is best at creating his own alley op(offensive rebound put back)
 

I have no doubt he can score in the NBA. But did you notice that everything you wrote was about offense? He still has to defend someone in the NBA and he gets lost of defense plenty right now.

Tyus Jones was a better player than him in college. Tyus barely plays for a below average team. The knock on Tyus is that he can't guard many people and he is a better defender than Nate Mason.

Could he play in the NBA? Yes. Will he? Maybe. The concerns are on defense and athleticism, not scoring the ball.
 


They play defense in the NBA?:cool02:

I guess outside of Trimble he really hasn't been challenged as far as covering next level guys but I think if he's drafted in the right system there are NBA coaches out there who can coach Nate up to be at least an average NBA defender.

I know it wasn't all on him but I would have like to have seen Iowa not be as successful as they were with their 3/4 court press vs Nate and crew
 

The question is what does he do at an NBA level? For example, Tyus Jones was an extremely high IQ PG that could hit shots and run an offense. Teams knew that no matter what he'd be steady and smart even against NBA competition. Mason is steady and smart but he doesn't make decisions at the level of a guy like Tyus. He can shoot but he's not a great shooter right now so he's not a guy that can step in and hit the NBA 3 at a high clip at the moment. He has decent quickness but he's not 'quick' for the NBA nor does he have great size. He's a solid all around PG but I don't know what he brings to the table on an NBA court right now. But who knows. A few years work and he could make it. Its not farfetched at this point
 

I could see him in the role of what Tyus did last year for the wolves as the #3 PG. I don't see him doing much more than that though.
 

BillyGopher said:
They play defense in the NBA?:cool02:

I guess outside of Trimble he really hasn't been challenged as far as covering next level guys but I think if he's drafted in the right system there are NBA coaches out there who can coach Nate up to be at least an average NBA defender.

I know it wasn't all on him but I would have like to have seen Iowa not be as successful as they were with their 3/4 court press vs Nate and crew
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Good point! He just couldn't play in the last 5 minutes...
 



Mason has physical limitations. He also isn't a great spot shooter, and he is a very bad shooter off of the dribble.

He isn't NBA material right now, but he can earn a nice living overseas.
 

Trimble probably wont be an NBA starter either. Not likely to go until the second round. For some of the same reasons listed for Mason.

BillyGopher said:
They play defense in the NBA?:cool02:
I guess outside of Trimble he really hasn't been challenged as far as covering next level guys but I think if he's drafted in the right system there are NBA coaches out there who can coach Nate up to be at least an average NBA defender.

I know it wasn't all on him but I would have like to have seen Iowa not be as successful as they were with their 3/4 court press vs Nate and crew
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Won't be able to guard and he's shooting 38% from the field, for starters.
 

I think entering this season Nate's main focus was doing everything to become a winner in the Big Ten. Mission accomplished. His first team honors this season likely sparked new confidence believing in himself to play at the next level. During the summer I can see Nate's off season training being divided into two focus areas:

1. Working with Pitino's staff and Gopher team mates to consistently win in the Big Ten
2. Working with an independent instructor okayed by Pitino who will concentrate on developing skills required to play at the next level. I don't think there's a bigger cheer leader for Nate than Coach P and can't see Nate turning into a selfish cancer now that his NBA dreams are realistic.He's proven that he can progress over a year.
 



BillyGopher said:
They play defense in the NBA?:cool02:

I guess outside of Trimble he really hasn't been challenged as far as covering next level guys but I think if he's drafted in the right system there are NBA coaches out there who can coach Nate up to be at least an average NBA defender.

I know it wasn't all on him but I would have like to have seen Iowa not be as successful as they were with their 3/4 court press vs Nate and crew
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Really? Yes they play defense in the NBA.
 

I keep seeing it mentioned that Mason is a good finisher at the rim? Is he really THAT good though? He's shot 38% on 2 point attempts this year. That has to seriously improve.

I think he's a good college player, but I don't think he's NBA talent good.
 

Rodney's Open said:
I keep seeing it mentioned that Mason is a good finisher at the rim? Is he really THAT good though? He's shot 38% on 2 point attempts this year. That has to seriously improve.

I think he's a good college player, but I don't think he's NBA talent good.
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Correct.

Also, there isn't a single senior projected to go in the first round this year. Seniors, even if better than underclassmen, are persona non grata to NBA teams.
 

He certainly could, but he's going up against long odds. His margin for error is incredibly thin. For the overwhelming majority of players in the NBA, they need to meet a baseline requirement of height/weight/vertical/quickness etc. just to get a spot on a roster. Mason doesn't really come close from that aspect. It can be overcome with supreme skill, but as I stated his execution would need to be essentially perfect in order to overcome his natural shortcomings. Trey Burke and Tyus Jones are good comps from an athleticism standpoint, but both were far more skilled as college players than Mason. By far the most likely scenario is that he earns a decent paycheck for a decade somewhere in Europe and hopefully for his sake never has to sit in a cubicle for 40 hours per week.
 

Rodney's Open said:
Really? Yes they play defense in the NBA.
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Obviously.

Teams that win play great defense. Lots of very talented players in the league that clearly have no desire towards committing to defensive excellence and are content with their huge pay checks and consistently playing sub 500 basketball.
 

Nate will never be a star but if he can embrace being a role player things could happen. As far as being talented enough to play over seas, he's already there IMO
 

I don't think Nate will get drafted after next season but he'll definitely get picked up by a team for summer league. From there he could play his way onto a preseason roster and possibly and NBA roster if he played well enough. He'll definitely have plenty of opportunities to play overseas if he so chooses.
 

Yogi Ferrell has settled into a nice role with the Mavs. If Mason gets in the right situation, he could spend some time in the NBA.
 

personal call. For the NBA, you have to fit a mold ie be a stopper on defense, a killer of a spot up shooter, a slasher who gets to the rim, etc. unless you're a Lebron or Leonard who can do multiple things. Mason's size hurts him to be a dribble drive PG who finishes at the rim at the NBA level, he is not a great spot up shooter, and I haven't seen the defense to say he could be a stopper. He is above average in a ton of things but does nothing at a truly elite, NBA starter level, which destines him to be a fringe NBA guy. I'd love for him to go into the offseason and really work on his 3 point shot, as that's where I'd see him having his best chance. As a PG who can distribute and will kill you if you leave him open from downtown.
 

I probably sound like a broken record but I think products of the recent 1 and done system have exposed lots of talented players as immature duds who end up getting lost in the shuffle wasting away their talent, potentially opening door to new norm of kids with serious NBA aspirations to elect playing 3-4 years in NCAAs

I don't really follow NBA but it looks as if most lottery picks generally go on to accomplish one of three things. Either become irrelevant/out of the league after two seasons, go on to become average players on quality teams or high stat guys on garbage teams. The worst attitude young talented athletes can have is entering professional level assuming everything is going to just come natural to them.

You see it a lot in NFL with high failure rate among first round draft picks as most players that earn a 2nd contract are guys drafted after the 2nd round. You hand a kid a multi million dollar pay check their rookie season and suddenly they lose their drive and determination, stunting their development along the way.
 

gophs11 said:
Yogi Ferrell has settled into a nice role with the Mavs. If Mason gets in the right situation, he could spend some time in the NBA.
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Yogi is a better shooter. 8% better effective field goal. Also a better passer and play maker.
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
Yogi is a better shooter. 8% better effective field goal. Also a better passer and play maker.
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You're missing the point. Sure lots of guys who go on to perform at a high level in the NBA are guys who were always elite players. But there are lots of examples of guys who worked their ass off and emerged as serviceable/hall of fame NBA talent for 10+ years.
 

BillyGopher said:
You're missing the point. Sure lots of guys who go on to perform at a high level in the NBA are guys who were always elite players. But there are lots of examples of guys who worked their ass off and emerged as serviceable/hall of fame NBA talent for 10+ years.
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I'm missing the point about giving you my opinion as to why Nate Mason is not an NBA talent? A lot of guys can help an NBA team but most of those guys don't make a roster because there are people better than them. Just because you can pick a handful of guys who Mason compares to (though they all have better college stats or intangibles that make them better) does not mean Mason belongs in the NBA.
 

Ever consider what Mason's FG% would be if he didn't have the responsibility of being team's go to scoring option?
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
I'm missing the point about giving you my opinion as to why Nate Mason is not an NBA talent? A lot of guys can help an NBA team but most of those guys don't make a roster because there are people better than them. Just because you can pick a handful of guys who Mason compares to (though they all have better college stats or intangibles that make them better) does not mean Mason belongs in the NBA.
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I never thought Yogi Ferrell would be a contributor in the NBA. He's now a starting PG for the Mavericks after getting released by the Nets. I brought up Yogi in comparison as he's someone from the Big Ten with similar numbers. I don't think there's much disparity between the overall talent of the two. If Mason can get in the right situation, I think he could stick (though I do agree, the odds are against him).
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
I have no doubt he can score in the NBA. But did you notice that everything you wrote was about offense? He still has to defend someone in the NBA and he gets lost of defense plenty right now.

Tyus Jones was a better player than him in college. Tyus barely plays for a below average team. The knock on Tyus is that he can't guard many people and he is a better defender than Nate Mason.

Could he play in the NBA? Yes. Will he? Maybe. The concerns are on defense and athleticism, not scoring the ball.
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This should be enough right Mason is a good college player but he isn't an explosive player and he isn't an efficient score. Trey Burke and Tyus Jones both are end of the bench guys and are better players than Mason.
 

I'd even argue Andre Hollins had more NBA potential than Mason. I love everything he is doing here but if he played for a different school we wouldn't even consider him a NBA player
 

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