Sacramento Kings: 5 options for pick No. 34 in 2017 NBA Draft
2. Frank Mason III, PG, Kansas
2016-17 stats: 36 GP, 20.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1. BPG, 2.4 TOV, 49 FG%, 47.1 3P%, 79.4 FT%
Another decorated four-year player, Frank Mason III certainly ended his time in Lawrence on a high note as he won multiple player of the year awards, with the Naismith Award being the standout. Now setting his sights on the NBA, Mason has a very good chance of hearing his name called when draft night rolls around.
A score-first point guard, Mason is an incredibly efficient player from all levels of the court.
He possesses great speed and shiftiness to go from one end to the other to put home a terrific finish, and he has a penchant for making his way to the foul line as evidenced by his high free-throw rate (Mason had a career 47.2 percent free-throw rate at Kansas). Additionally, Mason is a lethal outside shooter, capable of hitting from downtown in a variety of ways.
Despite his physical limitations, Mason is a very disruptive defender, using his hands to try and generate turnovers or being physical with opposing guards at the point of attack.
Obviously, the biggest question regarding Mason is how will he be able to overcome his size limitations on both ends of the floor. While his drive and determination are qualities you hope to see in any prospect, there’s only so much with where that can take a player of Mason’s stature and opposing teams will try to exploit his physical weaknesses when he reaches the next level.
When it comes to the Kings, finding a point guard is a clear objective for the team in this draft.
Although much of the talk about finding one has centered around their lottery selections, there’s always the possibility of selecting not one, but two point guards and if that’s to be the case, Mason’s name will be an interesting one to focus on should they look to find one in the second round.
The team clearly has an interest in him to some degree as they’ve hosted him twice for group workouts in Sacramento. With the point guard position open for anyone to fill, Mason could be an intriguing option for the Kings for what he brings to the court and off it as well.