Mason Plumlee Highlight reel

[jma4life]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVDr8w1jUF4

Look, Olek looked just as impressive as Mason here. This in no way indicates much of anything other than the fact that Mason Plumlee has at the minimum, had one minute of really good plays. I think in combination with the scouting report, it's encouraging (as opposed to with Olek) but nonetheless, I am not watching this video and stating that Mason is the answer to the post, etc.


What I can without any doubt conclude is:

a. Mason is bigger than I thought. Doesn't look like Miles yet, but he seems to have the build of a guy that can put on weight pretty easily, as opposed to guys like Thomas and Scheyer who have skinny frames, and body types that struggle to add much mass. That is a good thing. If K wants to make him a banger, with Duke's S&C, he'll be able to put on the weight.

b. He's athletic. I'd heard conflicting reports on this. Obviously with his track and field high jump success, you'd figure he's a pretty good athlete and Miles can get up well too, but some had told me he wasn't a spectacular athlete. Well, maybe that's true but athleticism is if anything, an asset to his game. He's an explosive big man. That does not equal success in a Duke uniform. But given Mason's skillset and basketball IQ, it's nice to know that whatever level that is at will be accompanied by good athletic ability.

[nyr484]

He looks like a right-handed Josh McRoberts. I mean that as a compliment. Let's just hope that Mason plays with some heart and intensity and doesn't settle for 15-foot fadeaways 80% of the time.

[chrisheery]

How that translates to ACC play remains to be seen, but it is certainly more encouraging than watching a guy with no athleticism. Its the one thing coaches just cant teach.

[slower]

Both Plumlee and Kelly look to have better handles and offensive skillsets than McRoberts, so that's encouraging. Plus, they both look fairly athletic. Kelly actually reminds me more of Dunleavy than McRoberts and looks to be ahead of Plumlee offensively, whereas it looks as if Mason can get up a little higher. I never saw Shavlik play in HS, but these guys, at a glance, both seem more fluid than he was (though I could be wrong, of course). Anyway, we'll find out soon!

[jma4life]

Disagree that athleticism can't be improved, although it's not easy. (Both Smith and Singler did increase their verticals over the summer, Dunleavy put 5 inches on his the year before he blew up with Indiana. Numerous other cases are present.) Plus, at this level, more attention needs to be put on skill development as opposed to with football where improving athletic ability is a more central focus during the summer and offseason, which is another reason football players find it so much easier to improve athletic ability.

So I guess what I'm really saying is, given the fact that it's tough for basketball players to find the time to work on improving athletic ability, I certainly do agree with the premise of your point. Because of the energy expended on working on your actual skills, time for improving athleticism is short, and hence, you are absolutely right that players at most D-1 programs will find it hard to get much more athletic while in college and hence, that it is nice to see that Mason is already athletic.

[SMO]

I really like the play that starts at the 1:00 mark. The athelticism is clearly there, but that play shows some audacity and an edge I would not have assumed is in this guy.

[roywhite]

May have made this comment before, but our recent experiences with big men and McDonald's A-A players have led us to be very cautious or even skeptical about our incoming recruits Mason and Ryan.

IMO both are going to be very good players that can help next year and be excellent beyond that.

[gotham devil]

Both Plumlee and Kelly look to have better handles and offensive skillsets than McRoberts, so that's encouraging. Plus, they both look fairly athletic. Kelly actually reminds me more of Dunleavy than McRoberts and looks to be ahead of Plumlee offensively, whereas it looks as if Mason can get up a little higher. I never saw Shavlik play in HS, but these guys, at a glance, both seem more fluid than he was (though I could be wrong, of course). Anyway, we'll find out soon!

6'11" guys looking to dribble are always an ulcer-inducer for their coaches and an off-the-ball guard defender's dream.

[CDu]

Both Plumlee and Kelly look to have better handles and offensive skillsets than McRoberts, so that's encouraging. Plus, they both look fairly athletic. Kelly actually reminds me more of Dunleavy than McRoberts and looks to be ahead of Plumlee offensively, whereas it looks as if Mason can get up a little higher. I never saw Shavlik play in HS, but these guys, at a glance, both seem more fluid than he was (though I could be wrong, of course). Anyway, we'll find out soon!

I disagree with this particular assessment, as McRoberts was a VERY gifted ballhandler. The two may be better shooters, but I didn't really see anything that differentiated Plumlee from McRoberts as a ballhandler. I also haven't seen any evidence of a post-up game, so they don't really address one of the bigger needs on this team. He does appear to address one need (size with some athleticism).

Of course, watching a highlight tape of transition buckets against inferior high school competition doesn't really give much insight into how Plumlee will transition to the half-court college game (which was noted in the original post).

Hopefully one (or both) of them can provide an impact for us next year, giving us another offensive weapon to put pressure on the other team's bigs and provide help on the boards. I don't think we're going to gather much from the highlight tapes.

[chrisheery]

Disagree that athleticism can't be improved, although it's not easy. (Both Smith and Singler did increase their verticals over the summer, Dunleavy put 5 inches on his the year before he blew up with Indiana. Numerous other cases are present.) Plus, at this level, more attention needs to be put on skill development as opposed to with football where improving athletic ability is a more central focus during the summer and offseason, which is another reason football players find it so much easier to improve athletic ability.

So I guess what I'm really saying is, given the fact that it's tough for basketball players to find the time to work on improving athletic ability, I certainly do agree with the premise of your point. Because of the energy expended on working on your actual skills, time for improving athleticism is short, and hence, you are absolutely right that players at most D-1 programs will find it hard to get much more athletic while in college and hence, that it is nice to see that Mason is already athletic.

I think you are talking about measures of athleticism. While someone may get stronger by lifting weights, playing everyday, doing drills, etc, they do not improve their actual baseline athleticism. There is always a certain ceiling based on the player/person's inborn athletic talent. You cannot teach someone to be a better athlete. You can teach them how to maximize what they have.

[Greg_Newton]

As always, the biggest question will be can he develop some semblance of a back to the basket game. Although... I will tentatively say that he looks like he at least has the potential to be an offensive threat that creates for himself, rather just finishing alley-oops. I also think he looks sturdier and moves more aggressively and strongly than his brother did at his age. But then again, this is all from comparing highlight videos, so who really knows.

Further proof of his athleticism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShZo32M5cT8 I mean, WOW.

Freeze it when he catches the ball... Grant Hill anyone?

[jma4life]

I suppose. I mean, if you improve your 40 yard dash by a couple tenths of a second, and put 5 inches on your vertical, I guess you could say that you've simply improved your measures of athleticism. I think it will translate into helping you play better but again, that's a topic for another discussion.

[slower]

I disagree with this particular assessment, as McRoberts was a VERY gifted ballhandler. The two may be better shooters, but I didn't really see anything that differentiated Plumlee from McRoberts as a ballhandler.

I agree that Plumlee may not have a BETTER handle than McRoberts. Kelly, at least on YouTube, looks to be a better ballhandler then McRoberts.

[hc5duke]

I really like the play that starts at the 1:00 mark. The athelticism is clearly there, but that play shows some audacity and an edge I would not have assumed is in this guy.

Pretty sure that is not a legal move (throwing the ball at the backboard for the purpose of catching/dunking it). I guess if he legitimately missed and got the rebound it might be, but it's hard to tell from that video. I may not be remembering this correctly but Steve Francis actually had a basket waived off for the exact same move, (of all places) in an NBA all-star game one year.

[jma4life]

McGrady did it in the allstar game with no call made against. Kobe actually did it in the playoffs last year too, but he made it look somewhat like a shot. From a practical point of view, I don't see what rules it breaks. How can it be proved that it's not a shot that was being taken?

[FireOgilvie]

As always, the biggest question will be can he develop some semblance of a back to the basket game. Although... I will tentatively say that he looks like he at least has the potential to be an offensive threat that creates for himself, rather just finishing alley-oops. I also think he looks sturdier and moves more aggressively and strongly than his brother did at his age. But then again, this is all from comparing highlight videos, so who really knows.

Further proof of his athleticism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShZo32M5cT8 I mean, WOW.

Freeze it when he catches the ball... Grant Hill anyone?

Here is a screen capture from that video... look at where he catches the ball and where his head is in relation to the rim.

[mcdukie]

I agree that throwing the ball against the backboard is not a rules violation. As far as Kelly and Plumlee as recruits, I think they are very talented but very similar. I also did not see any back to the basket moves. I see more Singler than McRoberts. Anyway, they are both talented and I am sure K will find something to do with them.

[Newton_14]

I don't worry so much about these guys being "bangers" or "back to the basket" guys. They have gifts that cannot be taught. Their skill set combined with length/size is a great thing to have. Look at Ed Davis. He is not a banger, but his incredible wingspan and length give him advantages on both ends of the court.

I think both Mason and Ryan bring attributes we have not had in a while. With their size and length they can alter shots in the paint and better compete for rebounds than guys like Lance and Dave. Even if they are not true post up guys, it does not mean they can't score around the hoop.

I am excited about how good they both can be and that we have them both rather than just 1. I really think that Kelly, MP1, and MP2 will push LT and Zoubs hard for playing time next year. We will have 5 options for post play, with 3 very different skillsets among the 5 guys.

I look forward to watching all of that unfolding...

[DukieBoy]

Pretty sure that is not a legal move (throwing the ball at the backboard for the purpose of catching/dunking it). I guess if he legitimately missed and got the rebound it might be, but it's hard to tell from that video. I may not be remembering this correctly but Steve Francis actually had a basket waived off for the exact same move, (of all places) in an NBA all-star game one year.

O.J. Mayo did it in the high school championship game a couple year's back. He got T'd up for throwing the ball into the stands though, but throwing off the backboard is perfectly legit.

[COYS]

I agree that throwing the ball against the backboard is not a rules violation. As far as Kelly and Plumlee as recruits, I think they are very talented but very similar. I also did not see any back to the basket moves. I see more Singler than McRoberts. Anyway, they are both talented and I am sure K will find something to do with them.

I really think their similarities have been overemphasized. They are both big guys with perimeter skills and more polished face up games than low post games. That being said, Kelly is much more of a ball handler, has far greater range and consistency on his jumper, is more polished offensively, but, according to the writeups, lacks some of the defensive abilities of Mason (not as consistent at rebounding, shot blocking, etc.). Kelly is a deadly three point threat and I would expect to see him spend more time on the perimeter than Mason, even if Mason makes most of his moves from the high post rather than the low. Both players are extremely versatile, though, and I would expect to see their roles change and develop over time as it becomes more apparent what their greatest strengths are.