Mason Plumlee: Brooklyn Nets Player Preview

Brooklyn Nets player previews, courtesy of The Brooklyn Game.

Number: 1

Position: C

Height: 6’11”

Weight: 235

Years Pro: R

Hometown: Fort Wayne, IN

Prior to NBA: Duke University

Twitter: @masonplumlee

Analysis:
First things first: Mason Plumlee needs a nickname. It’s silly that he doesn’t have one. He’s a seven-footer that sounds like he should be pulling plows in a midwestern town in Kurt Vonnegut’s dreams, and the best anyone can seem to think of is “Plum.” Absolutely not. Plum cannot be his nickname. It’s the laziest nickname and most boring fruit imaginable. Is it even a fruit? I don’t know, and I’m too lazy to look it up because that’s how freaking boring “Plum” is.

Can’t go with “Mase,” either, because this team still has loyalty to Jay-Z. Might as well nickname him “Memphis Bleek” or “Michelle Williams.”

He’s been tight-lipped about his nickname on Jersey Nickname Night, refusing to share because the team doesn’t want him to. Other guys have shared their nicknames, which leads me to speculate: maybe he’s not allowed to choose his nickname, via the “you’re the rookie and you do what we say” clause.

So here’s my entrant:

MIGHTY MASE #Nets
— The Brooklyn Game (@TheBKGame) October 18, 2013

I used “Mighty Mouse” straight up a couple of times and nobody seemed to like it, but “Mighty Mase” got a bit more intrigue. It makes sense. He’s huge. He’s Duke’s superhero. His wingspan is shorter than his height, which I’m pretty sure is true of Mighty Mouse, but he makes up for it with his ability to fly. Plus, he’s the rookie, and deserves a nickname that reminds everyone that he’s closer in age to the average second-grader than his young head coach.

What? Oh, right. Mason Plumlee plays basketball, too. You just won’t see it much. Nets general manager Billy King admitted that Plumlee will likely spend much of his time in the D-League with the team’s affiliate Springfield Armor this season, working on and improving his game under D-League coach and former Nets assistant Doug Overton while the Nets progress in their quest to win a championship.

Plumlee has a chance to be a D-League All-Star with his blend of athleticism, size, and pedigree — he’s a four-year Duke player under Mike Krzyzewski. He’s not particularly polished in the post, but runs the floor well for a big man and gets his fair share of tip-dunks and alley-oops. He’s aggressive rebounding the ball on the defensive end and sports a 36″ vertical leap, one of the highest ever for a seven-footer.

Still, we won’t see much of Mighty Mase in the NBA, even though we’ve had some fun moments in preseason. So let’s enjoy this one as long as we can.