Through the Phog
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Frank Mason at Sacramento Kings: In familiar territory

By Abhinav Kumar

Jan 21, 2017; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Frank Mason (0) drives to the basket during the second half of the game against the Texas Longhorns at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks won 79-67. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2017; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Frank Mason (0) drives to the basket during the second half of the game against the Texas Longhorns at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks won 79-67. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Sacramento Kings took Frank Mason III with the 34th pick in the NBA draft  Thursday. I would argue that he should have gone sooner. He is not only talented as a passer and a shooter, but he also has a never-give-up attitude and positive mindset.

Frank Mason has a huge appetite for pressure, and difficult moments bring out the best in him. During multiple successful seasons with the Kansas Jayhawks, Mason displayed all of these qualities.

As a matter of fact, Bill Self had plenty of good things to say about Mason to the Kings according to  Matt Tait the coach said:

"His value will be (worth) even more than what he does on the court … he’ll bring a toughness to their culture that’ll be very positive."

Frank Mason’s future with the Sacramento Kings

It is worth noting that the Kings also drafted talented point guard De’Aaron Fox out of Kentucky at number 5. The Kings already have established point guards in Darren Collison and Ty Lawson which effectively relegates Frank Mason III to either the bench with very few on court minutes or to the NBA Development League.

The beautiful thing is, it will not be anything new for Frank Mason. He has had his share of challenges and knows how to fight for his chances. From being a player that few had heard of, he went on to win almost all major men’s basketball awards this past season.

When Mason came to Kansas, he had to earn the right to play on the court. Mason was not a star during his freshman year.  The Petersburg, Virginia native played with the likes of Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid. Not only that, but during his sophomore campaign, Mason got to play more minutes but in the shadow of Kelly Oubre Jr., Wayne Selden and touted freshman Cliff Alexander.  Regular improvement propelled him to be a force for Kansas Basketball through his Junior and Senior campaigns.

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The bottomline is this, Frank Mason III knows that you do not get good things in life on a platter. You have to fight for it and you have to earn it. The position that Mason finds himself in now, is really not new. He knows that he has the work ethic, focus and patience for success in the NBA.

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