State of the Hornets: Desmond Mason

June 6, 2007

Hornets.com continues its look back at 2006-07 with player-by-player analysis of each Hornet who appeared in at least half of the team’s games last season:

Armstrong | Brown | Butler | Chandler | B. Jackson | M. Jackson | Johnson

Desmond Mason went from a projected fourth option to the focal point of the offense after injuries to Chris Paul, David West and Peja Stojakovic. Hornets.com takes a look back at the unrestricted free agent’s eventful second season in a Hornets uniform.

Desmond Mason
NBA experience: Seven seasons (two-plus with SuperSonics, two-plus with Bucks, two with Hornets).
Age: 29.
Games played (starts): 75 (75).
Key statistical averages: 13.7 points, 4.6 rebounds.

What we expected: In a talented lineup loaded with offensive firepower and also including Chris Paul, David West and Peja Stojakovic, Mason was projected to be the fourth option at that end of the floor. In that role, Mason figured to get more open looks at the hoop than in 2005-06 based on the attention drawn by teammates, as well as the former NBA dunk champion’s proven ability to slash to the rim for layups and slams, particularly in fast-break situations. It didn’t turn out that way. For a portion of December and January, all three of the Hornets’ high-scoring players were injured, vaulting Mason to the No. 1 option in the team’s reconfigured halfcourt attack.

What went right: Amid a stream of injuries, Mason often elevated his offensive production and appeared in each of the Hornets’ first 75 games, no small feat on a team that arguably had worse luck on the injury front than any NBA club. Mason topped the 20-point mark six times in January and three more times in the first two weeks of February. Not coincidentally, the Hornets played much of that portion of the schedule without Paul, West or Stojakovic. Mason was also tasked with frequently having to defend the opposing team’s premier offensive threat at small forward or shooting guard. The Oklahoma State product averaged 38.8 minutes in December and 37.1 minutes in January – causing Byron Scott to wonder whether he was asking too much of Mason – but the forward’s play remained consistent despite the heavy workload.

What went wrong: Mason nearly made it through the entire schedule without dealing with a notable injury – until a nasty collision with Seattle’s Chris Wilcox on April 4 led to Mason missing the final seven games of the regular season. The 6-foot-5, 222-pounder sustained a broken nose and cheekbone after being inadvertently elbowed in the face by the SuperSonics’ power forward. Prior to the season-ending injury, Mason’s hesitancy to unleash his reworked jump shot was a disappointment. Mason spent time working on a new shooting form in the summer of 2006, but it did not translate to improved confidence once the season began. According to NBA shot-chart data, he only attempted nine shots from beyond 15 feet all season, an incredibly low total for a small forward who logged 2,575 minutes. By comparison, fellow small forward Linton Johnson took 111 such shots in nearly 2,000 fewer minutes.

The future: Mason will be one of the most coveted unrestricted free agents among small forwards when free-agency negotiations begin July 1. Many NBA analysts rank him third at his position of the available “threes,” behind only Seattle’s Rashard Lewis and Charlotte’s Gerald Wallace. It’s unclear whether the Hornets will be able to re-sign Mason, but it could be largely dependent on the offers he receives from other NBA teams. It’s difficult to determine exactly how much he raised his free-agent stock in the eyes of other clubs based on his 2006-07 performance.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
Here’s what Hornets.com heard about Mason in 2006-07:

Sports Illustrated’s Ian Thomsen, on the odds of Mason re-signing with the Hornets this summer:
“That will be interesting to see. It’s not clear-cut to me. It will have to do with how they think they can replace him if that’s what they want to do, and where George Shinn wants to take the team financially – he’s already invested a lot of money in other contracts. That’s going to be a very nuanced question for them to answer.”