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Buyer beware Mason may cause a few unexpected problems for Bucks
Count Bucks guard Ray Allen among those who believe the addition of free-agent power forward Anthony Mason could push the Bucks over the top in the Eastern Conference. "One thing people are always saying about this team is we're soft. We don't have enough inside," Allen said. "But you take Anthony Mason, an All-Star last year, a banger inside, he's going to add a lot of toughness and change that perception. He's going to give us more of a presence down low." Allen isn't just talking hype. He and several other Bucks players spent a couple weeks playing with Mason during offseason workouts in Milwaukee. Throw in the fact that Glenn Robinson is still hobbling around on ankles that required surgery in the offseason, and it's clear Mason could be a lifesaver. Despite all the positive vibes, however, the Mason signing isn't entirely a slam dunk for the Bucks. Here are four potential pitfalls:
1. Will Mase accept being a fourth wheel?Mason is a guy who likes to touch the ball a lot. He loves to have the offense run through his hands. It remains to be seen how well he'll adjust to Milwaukee's free-flowing wide-open style, where the Big Three of Allen, Robinson and Sam Cassell get most of the shots. "I don't think he would disrupt it by any means," Allen says. "He's a post player. He can bring the ball up. He fits our style. He brings some aggressiveness. He can pass. He can rebound. He knows how to score, and he'll create double teams in the post. All those things can help us. He's not a one-dimensional player." Indeed, Mason is a good passer out of the double team and has never been known as a selfish player. But after being an All-Star last season, will he accept a complementary role once again? Or will he demand the rock every other trip down court and bring the Bucks' offense to a grinding halt?
2. Can he stay out of trouble off the court?Along with his creative scalp art, Mason is perhaps best known for his various legal scrapes over the years. He has been involved in several run-ins at nightclubs, and once was accused of having sex with an underage girl (the charges were later dismissed). Will he be able to avoid such trouble in Milwaukee, where the nightlife is decidedly more low-key and his presence figures to be more visible? Mason's agent, Don Cronson, notes that his client actually will be better off in such an environment, that all his legal problems have surfaced when the Queens native was back home in New York. Cronson better hope it's the case. The Bucks don't need any distractions, and team owner Herb Kohl, a U.S. senator, might not be as tolerant as other NBA owners.
3. Will the Bucks miss Scott Williams more than they think?Don't laugh. Williams, dealt to the Nuggets as part of the three-team trade that brought Mason to Milwaukee, was a solid role player who helped the Bucks. His hustle and willingness to do the little things were key parts of Milwaukee's run to the Eastern Conference championship series last year. Also, Williams was Allen's best friend on the team. The two played golf, cards and even board games together. Last year they got in such a fierce competition over the Pac-Man video game at the team's practice facility that Allen went out and purchased a unit for his home so he could secretly practice. No wonder Bucks GM Ernie Grunfeld is already saying the team might look to bring Williams back next season when his current contract expires.
4. Will Sammy be seeing green?With two more years left on a contract that will pay him around $8.5 million, Cassell is underpaid by industry standards. Last year he demanded an extension, and threatened to hold out this season if he didn't get it. Unfortunately for him, the Bucks were limited in what they could do by the collective bargaining agreement, and it was agreed that he would wait for the time being. With the Bucks now having gone to great lengths to swing a deal for Mason, will Cassell feel slighted? Even though there was no way the Bucks could free up space for him without breaking up their core, it certainly won't make him feel better. Milwaukee needs a happy and hard-working Sammy, and at present it is not clear whether that will be the case.
Marty Burns covers pro basketball for CNNSI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.
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