Mason Plumlee on Twitter
Height: 6″11″
Weight: 235 lbs.
Date of Birth: March 5, 1990
Years Pro: 1
Before NBA: Duke University
Drafted: 22nd overall, 2013 NBA Draft
Nickname: Mase, Plums
– Full Stats –
Mason Alexander “Plumdog Millionaire Plummer American Hero Wilt Shaquille Russell Hakeem Abdul-” Plumlee hits the ground running for his second year in the league.
Plumlee is no average sophomore. He was given an opportunity with Team USA and savored it. The Nets are now giving him a similar opportunity, electing not to bring back fan favorite Andray Blatche.
Plumlee has seen where his efforts have taken him this summer with Team USA, and that driven mentality will have to translate over to Brooklyn.
What the Nets are getting in Plumlee is a type of player that once he reaches his full form, could be the future star that Team USA Manager Jerry Colangelo keeps alluding to. Brooklyn had Reggie Evans on the glass, and Brook Lopez scoring the ball, but hasn’t had a player that could do both efficiently around the rim. Kevin Garnett once was that, with some extra range, but Father Time’s knocking on his door. Could Plumlee?
Everyone remembers Plumlee’s show-stopping dunks, possibly all 116 of them, but his rebounding cannot go overlooked. Mason tallied a defensive rebounding percentage of 19.6% last season, trailing only Garnett and Blatche by a sliver.
Add defense into that category as well: Plumlee tallied the highest block percentage on the roster, turning back 3.6 percent of opposing shots. That’s not a show-stopping number, but it’s one he can build on, and he’ll have Garnett around for at least one more year to show him the ropes. He certainly doesn’t lack for blocking confidence.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WW0k2kgJPw&w=560&h=315]
The experience that Plumlee gained from his Team USA summer is priceless. No one else can say that they spent their summer averaging 18 and 5 in the Orlando Summer League and put up 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals in 26.4 minutes over the course of 3 exhibition games as a member of Team USA.
Plumlee spent his rookie year in the same locker room of two future Hall of Famers (Pierce & Garnett), while being coached by another one (Kidd). Now, he was given the opportunity to train with and compete against with some of the best basketball players on the planet for over a month. You’d have to guess he picked the brain of some of his now peers and drew out some life lessons that’ll lead to even more improvements in the NBA.
Physically, there’s still room to grow: adding a few pounds of muscle to bulk up his 235-pound frame wouldn’t hurt.
Aside from that, Plumlee needs to develop a mid-range jumper. It’s no question that every team would love to have a DeAndre Jordan of their own in the middle capitalizing on his teammates mistakes, but there’s still a fine line that Plumlee needs to cross. He’s made a living within 3 feet from the hoop, but 33.3 percent shooting from 3 to 10 feet won’t fly next season, and Plumlee didn’t make any shots beyond that last year.
Plumlee’s worked on his 8-12 foot hook shot during Team USA practices and even attempted a few during games, making it reasonable to expect him to be comfortable playing a few steps back next year.
Lionel Hollins should just about handle the rest. As long as he’s willing to learn and work hard, Hollins should be able to develop him well.
