Mason Is Beginning To Fill Wizards' Needs

When he is feeling a little restless, Roger Mason sometimes drives to Verizon Center late at night and puts up a few hundred jump shots. Sometimes he brings along a friend to rebound for him.

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Such extra preparation has been a staple of Mason's approach to the game, but recently it has translated into the best play of a professional career that has included stops with three NBA teams and stints in Greece and Israel.

In the last five games, in which the Wizards went 4-1, the former Good Counsel and University of Virginia star connected on 22 of 40 shots, including 11 of 18 three-point attempts, and averaged 12.8 points with only four turnovers.

The performance has helped the Wizards (11-10) stay competitive despite the absence of three-time all-star Gilbert Arenas, who has not played since a Nov. 16 win at Minnesota. The loss of Arenas to knee surgery forced Coach Eddie Jordan to shuffle his rotation, and one of the moves he has made recently has been to play Mason more at point guard as a backup to starter Antonio Daniels.

Mason, who handled the ball extensively in his final season at Virginia, struggled some against pressure defenses played by Philadelphia and San Antonio, but has adapted and appears to be growing more comfortable and assertive as his minutes increase.

Jordan has repeatedly cited Mason's calm demeanor and professional approach as reasons why he has confidence in playing him.

"One of his poorest games was against Philadelphia, I think, with their pressure, but he's just bounced back from that," said Jordan. "He's been very solid, he communicates well with me and his teammates and he's got a terrific shot. You need that in this league -- he has range -- and you know, he can drive the ball to the basket, and he picks up defensively, so he's just a real solid player."

Last season, after making the team out of training camp, Mason had to make the most of sporadic opportunities. He appeared in 62 regular season games and averaged a modest 2.7 points on 33 percent shooting in 7.9 minutes.

Mason decided to re-sign with the Wizards late in the summer, taking a one-year guaranteed deal after turning down an offer from the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.

"I had a really good offseason," Mason said. "I had a chance to really work on my game and fortunately, I'm getting an opportunity to play. You can't show what you can do if you're not playing, and fortunately Coach is giving me a chance and I'm trying to take advantage."

Mason's strong play has created some interesting decisions for Jordan. Starting shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson, who got the Wizards rolling early during Tuesday's 102-88 home win over Minnesota by making three first-quarter three-pointers, is averaging 26.6 minutes per game.

Rookie first-round pick Nick Young is coming along nicely, averaging 7.2 points in 13.2 minutes per game, but on Tuesday the play of Stevenson and Mason meant that Jordan didn't insert Young into the game until the fourth quarter.

"I told the team after the game, 'I know the substitution pattern is a little quirky right now,' and I felt bad about Nick sitting there the whole time because usually I don't like to do that, put a guy into the game in the fourth quarter after he's been sitting there all game," Jordan said. "It wasn't a necessity."

Jordan said that he wants to avoid having Mason and Young on the court together, preferring to pair either of them with Stevenson or Daniels, but with a roster that has been depleted by injury, every player is going to get a chance to contribute, including rookie second-round pick Dominic McGuire, who played just less than 11 minutes Tuesday.

"We need everybody," forward Antawn Jamison said. "Nick has come in and helped, Roger has been playing real well lately, DeShawn has been hitting shots. Right now, everyone is coming in and helping, and that's what we're going to need."