Earlier this week, Golden State Warriors head coach complimented former Warriors coach Don Nelson, saying that the winningest coach in NBA history was “ahead of his time.” Nelson was a guy who was always thinking outside the box, and it led to quite a bit of criticism throughout his career.
But there was one player he coached who was not only good back in his day, but would have been an absolute beast in the modern NBA game and was a huge influence on a whole lot of players who have played since then: Anthony Mason.
Nelson's time with Mason was brief.
He spent 59 games as head coach of the New York Knicks during the 1995-96 campaign and had the pleasure of coaching Mason, who was an incredibly unique player.
Mason, who passed away at the young age of 48 on Feb. 28 four years ago, was a bruising forward known for, well, to put it plainly, putting people on their butts.
The 6-foot-7, 250-pound Mason was one of the reasons why Michael Jordan despised playing the Knicks, as he knew that if he was going into the lane, Mason was sending him to the floor.
But that's not all Mason was good for.
The Miami native who attended high school in New York was not just some goon who would go out there to intimidate the other team's best player. No; Mason was extremely skilled.
He was so skilled, as a matter of fact, that Nelson used Mason as a point forward, as the big man was so quick on his feet and such a good ball-handler and passer that he could facilitate the offense while sending defenses scrambling in the process.
Don't believe me? Look up some of his highlights.
Mason was Draymond Green before Draymond Green. He was Lamar Odom before Lamar Odom. He was Boris Diaw before Boris Diaw. Heck, to an extent, he was even LeBron James before LeBron James.
This was a man who could not only run the offense, but could also defend any position. He guarded the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal (and O'Neal later even admitted that Mason defended him better than anyone) while also defending Jordan and, later on, Vince Carter.
No. Seriously. Mason was that versatile.
He was unbelievably strong as well as being freakishly athletic, which was why he had the ability to defend Shaq one game and then cover Jordan the very next night.
Statistically, Mason's best season came during his first year with the Charlotte Hornets during the 1996-97 campaign, when he averaged 16.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists and one steal per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the floor and 74.5 percent from the free-throw line.
That right there should tell you just how diverse of a player Anthony Mason was, as he was able to fill up the stat sheet while also doing all of the little things that helped his team win.
Just like Draymond.
I have always maintained that if I had to pick one player from the pool of all of the players in NBA history to guard LeBron, it would be Mason. His strength, quickness, physicality and toughness is unmatched by anyone who has defended James, and my money would be on Mase giving LeBron a rougher time than anyone.
Imagine Mason in today's game for a second.
He would unquestionably be a small-ball 5 who could not only score in the post, but could knock down a mid-range jumper and run the offense as the essential point guard.
Plus, in today's game, Anthony Mason would have likely learned to shoot the three-ball, which would have made him even more deadly.
Then, on the other end of the floor, he would be the ultimate pick-and-roll defender, possessing the footspeed to switch on to guards on the perimeter and the athleticism to show and then quickly recover.
Need someone to defend Joel Embiid? Mason is your guy. Having difficulty stopping LeBron? Call up Mase. Can't seem to slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo? Let Mason rough him up a bit.
Mason would literally be able to guard all of those guys, and not just for a couple of possessions. You could call on him to defend them for a full 48 minutes, and he would be able to do it.
Mason is one of those players whom you would have just loved to see in the modern game. It's hard to imagine a more perfect big man for today's style of play. Just picture Mason and his massive 250-pound frame leading the fast break, with defenders bouncing off of him like bugs on a windshield.
That is what we would have seen if Anthony Mason had come up a couple of decades later.
I'm not even sure he knew how much of an influence he had on the game during his lifetime.
Rest in peace, Mase.
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