After adding Yogi Ferrell, the Sacramento Kings have two point guards who will have to compete for the backup role.
With the Sacramento Kings agreeing to sign Yogi Ferrell to a two-year, $6.2 million contract on Friday, the point guard battle in Sacramento got a little more interesting. While De’Aaron Fox is the frontrunner for the starting point guard position, Ferrell will likely battle with Frank Mason III for the backup point guard position.
Mason struggled in his rookie year, then continued to struggle in the Summer League. As a result, he may be facing an uphill battle going into training camp. Mason’s struggle is certainly not due to a lack of effort, but it has been clear that he still needs to develop some fundamental skills. At times, he seems way too predictable. This is especially true when he puts his head down and makes a beeline to the rim. The end result of that attempt is usually a turnover or a blocked shot.
On fastbreaks, Mason has shown similar issues. Sometimes he is unable to make the right pass on a fastbreak. Other times he spoils the fastbreak with a missed layup. Mason showed some improvement with his shooting as the season went on, shooting 36 percent from the 3-point line. Still, he may have to do much better to compete for minutes with Ferrell.
Many NBA fans may remember Ferrell as the player who made a splash in 2017 when he signed a 10-day contract with the Dallas Mavericks. Ferrell played 36 games in his first season with the Mavericks, averaging 11.3 points and 4.3 assists per game. Last season, Ferrell played in all 82 games for the Mavericks. He had also shown flexibility in Dallas, where he was sometimes used as a shooting guard.
In recent years, the Kings haven’t been successful in signing free agent point guards. Some of the names that have come through Sacramento include Aaron Brooks, Ramon Sessions, Darren Collison and George Hill. Collison is the only one from that bunch who had a long stint with the Kings. The rest were traded or waived before they finished their first season with the team. The 25-year-old Ferrell will hopefully break that trend for Sacramento.
The competition is especially important for Mason as he tries to bounce back from a rough rookie year. If he is inspired by the competition, he can improve his game and make Ferrell earn his minutes. This would be a dream scenario for the Kings, who would have a good dilemma as they try to split the minutes among the point guards. The more experienced Ferrell can also be a mentor for Mason.
As much as he struggled in his rookie year, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Frank Mason challenge Ferrell for minutes. The one thing he showed in his rookie year was grit. Even on his worst days, he seemed like he was always giving it maximum effort. It was reminiscent of Isaiah Thomas in a Kings’ jersey — undersized, but not out-worked.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Now, it’s time to see if Mason’s grit can pay off as he battles for playing time heading into his second season.