div align = "center" MASON REDD VAN EXEL JACKSON WILLIAMSON PPG - SEASON 14.0 15.6 14.2 11.9 11.0 RPG 7.0 4.5 2.4 3.0 4.4 APG 1.4 1.5 5.3 1.7 1.2 MPG 33.3 29.3 28.3 24.3 23.0 FG % .452 .466 .441 .425 .416 PPG - WEEK 10.8 11.0 12.0 10.5 14.7 RPG 7.0 3.3 2.7 4.0 6.0 APG 2.0 0.3 7.7 2.0 0.7

Nick Van Exel has been serving as a playmaker. Catherine Steenkeste/NBAE

THE SKINNY
Don’t look now, but here comes Corliss Williamson. Last season’s Sixth Man Award winner had been dormant much of the season as the Pistons worked on establishing a rotation. Now he’s started his charge, averaging 14.8 points and 5.8 rebounds over his last five games. He’s scored double-figures in each of the games, all of them Detroit wins, while playing increased minutes. The sleeping dog, it appears, has been awoken.

Coming off of a high-scoring week, Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Redd was not as effective last week. He had just three points on 1-for-9 shooting against Chicago as the Bucks were beaten, but did rebound with 19 points against Toronto – though Milwaukee went down again in that one. Desmond Mason was excellent against Cleveland, netting 13 points and 12 rebounds as the Sonics finished off a trip back east. But overall, he had a tough road trip, struggling with his shot, and was quiet in the Sonics return home against San Antonio. Mason matched up against Stephen Jackson, who was moved into the starting lineup, meaning he may not be long for this group. Jackson had 18 points and eight boards on national TV as the Spurs handed Sacramento its first home loss.

Out in Dallas, Nick Van Exel played the role of playmaker this week, dropping at least six assists in each game. His best outing off the week was an excellent 20-point, 10-assist effort as the Mavericks cruised by the Pacers. He was less effective in the other two games.

Desmond Mason shows off his incredible leaping ability. Andrew D. Berenstein/NBAE

THE SCOUTING REPORT -
DESMOND MASON, F/G, SEATTLE
In his third season in the NBA, Mason has clearly emerged as one of the league’s top reserve players. It’s a group he was already amongst last season, when he finished fifth in Sixth Man Award voting behind Williamson. This year, Mason has been even better in the early going. After one month of the season, he is third on the Sonics in scoring with 15.2 points per game and battling Lewis for the team lead in rebounding at 6.9 boards per game – despite being only 6-5. Sonic Coach Nate McMillan is particularly impressed with Mason’s effort on the boards, which has seen him increase his per-minute rebounding by more than 40% from last season. “It’s been huge,” says McMillan of Mason’s rebounding. “He knows that’s one of our weak spots and he makes the effort to go in and rebound the ball.

McMillan cites Mason’s ‘production’ as his most valuable contribution off the bench, but many of his contributions cannot be measured in the score sheet. Amongst these is energy. “I need that badly coming off the bench,” McMillan says of the energy. “We wouldn’t be able to get that if we didn’t have him.” Additionally, Mason is an exciting highlight reel waiting to happen. He is regularly featured on SportsCenter for his acrobatic dunks, which bring the KeyArena crowd to its feet. He also can capture momentum for his team by taking a charge, something he unofficially does as much as anyone in the NBA.

Another important intangible is Mason’s personality. Last season, he made more community visits than any other player in the NBA. “Having Desmond in this organization has been great,” reports Sonics Community Relations Manager Matt Wade. “He’s a caring individual. He knows that a lot of kids look up to him in the community and he wants to do his part to help.” Though Mason would prefer to start, he has happily accepted his role as sixth man. “When you have players like that, it makes everything in the system that much better,” McMillan explains of having the ability to bring Mason off the bench.

McMillan neatly sums up why Mason is considered a top sixth man. “He does it all. He brings not only offense but also defense. I’m sure the plus-minus is a plus when he’s in the game” What else could you ask for in a sixth man?

WHY HE’LL WIN THE SIXTH MAN AWARD
Mason’s play certainly deserves it on its own merits so far this season. But his biggest advantage over the competition may be his visibility. Despite playing on a medium-market team that is infrequently televised, Mason is on national TV almost every night thanks to his dunks and has become well-known throughout the league. Mason’s personality has to be considered a plus in his favor.

WHY HE WON’T WIN THE SIXTH MAN AWARD
No matter what McMillan says, it’s always possible that Mason could end up starting by the middle of the season. As recently as the beginning of the month, McMillan hinted at lineup changes that could put Mason in the starting five. Though Mason’s rebounding is excellent for a small forward, it still can’t compare with the efforts of bigger players and he doesn’t collect a lot of assists to make up for it.

THE INSIDE STORY FROM THE SONICS
“I think he’s scoring enough to be amongst the top sixth men in the league.” – McMillan

ABOUT THE SIXTH MAN AWARD
Most recent winner: Corliss Williamson, Detroit (complete list of winners)

No Sonic has ever won the Sixth Man Award, though several honorees have played for the Sonics (Eddie Johnson, Ricky Pierce, and Detlef Schrempf). The best Sonic finish was by current Coach Nate McMillan, who placed second during the 1993-94 season to Charlotte’s Dell Curry.

Eligibility: In order to be eligible for Sixth Man voting, a player must come off the bench for more games than he starts in.