NBA Draft 2013: Duke’s Mason Plumlee Player Profile

Pretty soon Mason Plumlee will be warming up before his first NBA game. (photo credit: SportsAngle.com)

Mason Plumlee, F, Duke, 6’10”, 235 lbs

2012-13 Collegiate Stat Line: (stats courtesy ESPN.com)

17.1 points, 60% field goals, 68% free throws, 10.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 2.9 turnovers

The Skinny:

The second in a long line of brothers, Mason Plumlee is much higher on the draft board than his brother Miles was in the 2012 NBA Draft. Mason is coming off his most dominant season as a Duke Blue Devil, earning career highs in almost every statistical category on offense. He helped keep Duke in the top five of the national rankings all season and led the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight. Now he has graduated and is looking for his next big step in his basketball career.

Strengths:

Mason has some incredibly soft hands for being nearly 7-feet tall. He knows how to finish around the rim and work his defender. Mason has no problems working against either and man or zone defense, shooting better than 55 percent in both categories. He also finished 84 percent of his shot attempts that came in transition situations. He’s very well rounded as an offensive threat.

As a big man, Plumlee works mostly off the ball. This allows him to cut to the basket for the easy finish. Add that with his soft hands and ability to finish at the rim and you have a mobile forward with lethal offensive tendencies.

Plumlee can play a little defense as well. He especially excels when he’s facing an isolation situation. Opposing offenses only shot 31 percent against Plumlee when they tried to iso him last season. This can be attributed to Plumlee’s impressive footwork and length. He’s a smart player. He did go to Duke after all.

Weaknesses:

Soft hands doesn’t always mean a soft player, but in Mason’s case, it does. He has a tendency to let opponents take advantage of him and gets himself into foul trouble. While he’s an aggressive player, he’s sometimes overly aggressive.

He does not defend against jump shots very well. Opponents averaged better than 44 percent shooting in jump shot situations when guarded by Plumlee, not exactly something you want to see from a power forward who will be guarding many jump-shooting forwards. It’s troubling.

Surprisingly, for a guy who finishes so well around the rim, he has a hard time defending guys in the same area. He allowed 40 percent shooting off of the left block and an astounding 48 percent from the right block.

Short and to the point, Plumlee is a major defensive liability. He’s solid offensively but his defense is not up to the same standards. He needs to work on his defense if he wants to succeed in the NBA.

Highlight Game:

Feb. 7 vs. North Carolina State (W 98-85) 30 points, 9-for-11 field goals, 12-for-16 free throws, nine rebounds

In a much-needed victory for Duke, Mason Plumlee erupted for a season-high 30 points. C.J. Leslie had no chance at stopping Plumlee in this game and the entire N.C. State roster resorted to fouling Plumlee to avoid the easy baskets. He made them pay at the free-throw line as well. He did it all for the Dukies in this game.

Lowlight Game:

Feb. 16 at Maryland (L 83-81) Four points, three rebounds, 2-for-7 field goals, 0-for-2 free throws, fouled out in 33 minutes of play

There really isn’t much to say about this game for Plumlee other than Alex Len got the best of him. To put it into perspective, Maryland outrebounded Duke by a 38-17 margin. Plumlee finished with only three rebounds. He didn’t have it in this game and it showed dearly.

Potential Landing Spots:

Right now, Mason Plumlee is being projected in the middle of the first round. The general consensus is that he’ll be gone before the 23rd pick. Of course, this could all change come draft day. Right now, Plumlee has no potential issues in finding a team willing to take him.

Teams That Make Sense:

Boston Celtics: The future of the Celtics lies in the hands of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Garnett has hinted at possible retirement after this season and Pierce could be used as trade bait if he returns. There are a lot of variables at play, but one constant in the Boston equation is building up the youth.

Boston showed great fight against the New York Knicks during the playoffs but didn’t have enough fire power in the end. Avery Bradley shined but other than Garnett, the Celtics didn’t have much production. If Garnett’s gone, there’s a huge hole to fill at power forward. Plumlee is no Garnett, nor should he try to emulate him. Plumlee makes sense here in terms of building a solid foundation around Rajon Rondo for the future.

Dallas Mavericks: The Mavericks need to get younger. This movement started well last summer with the additions of O.J. Mayo and Darren Collison, but more needs to be done. Elton Brand, Shawn Marion and Vince Carter don’t have much gas left in the tank. Plumlee would also benefit greatly from learning from one of the all-time great big men, Dirk Nowitzki. This could be a beneficial move for everyone.

Overall Synopsis:

Unless Mason Plumlee dramatically increases his defense from the end of the college basketball season to the NBA Draft, don’t expect his name to jump up the draft boards. He’s certainly a first-round selection, but could drop down the board a bit if teams don’t trust his commitment to defense. He could be just another former Blue Devil who couldn’t make it in the NBA. We will have to wait and see.