We're late on the pile here, but it's worth a note: The Spurs have added at least a bit of firepower off the bench.
As reported by Jeff McDonald and Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News on Wednesday:
According to multiple NBA sources, the Spurs have reached an agreement with Mason, a 6-foot-5 guard who spent the past two seasons in Washington. The deal is expected to pay Mason $7.5 million over two seasons.
Known primarily for his defensive toughness, Mason was an offensive revelation off the bench for the Wizards last season, his fourth in the NBA. Afforded increased playing time after injuries to guards Gilbert Arenas and Antonio Daniels, Mason averaged 9.1 points per game and shot nearly 40 percent from 3-point range.
No qualms with this one.
The Spurs certainly seemed to need some extra energy at times last year, and there were stretches of the playoff run at which it seemed like their collectively advancing age was bogging them down a bit. Mason will help that. He is a 27-year old gunner who loves to get up and down the floor and play guts-out basketball. His nice touch from deep will help spread the floor for the Spurs, and he should add a lot of adrenaline in the back-court for this team. He hasn't played for a big-deal squad yet, so it's easy to see him chomping at the bit to play deep into the playoffs for the first time in his career.
Just another sensible move by R.C. Buford and friends.