Did you watch the Mason Jones show last night on the SEC Network? If you did not, let me sum up his performance in the words of former Razorback football coach Houston Dale Nutt, “He’s Special.”
To this writer Jones’ style of play is a blend of multiple players. He has a Glen Rice release, a James Harden step back, a Tony Parker floater and with the passing of Kobe Bryant last month Jones has done a very good Kobe Bryant impersonation for the Razorbacks. Jones is playing like Jordan and Isaiah Joe has stepped into the role of Pippen this year for the Hogs, I have seen him make every type of shot this year except for two. I have yet to see him make a Kareem hook shot or a Jordan mid-range, shoulder shrug, post-up, fade away jump shot but other than the two most iconic shots from the games best players at the professional level Mason Jones can do it all.
Mason Jones is a rock star, if you squint your eyes you would swear that was the rapper “50 Cent” Curtis Jackson out on the court for the Hogs. “I don’t know what you heard about me, but I’m about to shoot for thirty…” P.I.M.P by 50 Cent should be his theme song and if he keeps playing at this professional level for the Hogs for the rest of the season, Jones will be making some big money in the NBA next year. To this point in the 2020 season Jones leads the SEC with seven thirty-point games, several of those big games were close losses for the Hogs. Hopefully, the Hogs can squeak into the NCAA tournament this year, regardless Jones has had an incredible year but if the Hogs do not go to the NCAA Tournament will the SEC still make Jones the Player of The Year? Can the SEC give their highest individual award to a player whose team does not make it to the NCAA tournament? My guess is probably not.
The verdict for Musselman is still out, can he be the coach that takes Arkansas back to the promised land? I’m still torn over the firing of Anderson when he never had a losing season. I have been asking myself a question that I do not think I will ever be able to get the answer to and that is, would Mason Jones be playing this well for Mike Anderson? Has Musselman brought something out of Jones to help elevate his game to its current state or would he have been this good no matter who was standing on the sidelines? -kg
