2018 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Shelvin Mack

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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 31: Shelvin Mack #8 of the Utah Jazz drives to the basket against the Washington Wizards during the game on March 31, 2017 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Orlando Magic again focused their free agency on finding a backup point guard. They found a solid game manager in Shelvin Mack.

Shelvin Mack has been in the spotlight for a long time. Then again, he was never the one in the spotlight for all those moments. With the Butler Bulldogs, Brad Stevens and Gordon Hayward took all the headlines. Mack was the glue keeping the team together, providing some playmaking at guard.

That is Mack in a nutshell: Solid but largely unimpressive. Not unless you are looking. That is what he has done his entire basketball career. He just did what his team asked of him and did it well. Maybe not enough to stand out, but enough to carve out a solid career.

That was the case for him with the Utah Jazz last year. Just as it had been with the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks before them.

Mack’s numbers do not pop off the page — career averages of 6.3 points per game, 2.9 assists per game and 48.0 percent effective field goal percentage. That was never his game. He always was going to play a backup role coming, and he accepted that role. He is a player who keeps everything steady. His impact is not shown in his statistics.

Last year with the Jazz, that was clearer than ever. He shook off a slow start to the season to help keep the Jazz afloat when George Hill went down with an injury. That is always what he is asked to do.

The Orlando Magic made him their first free agent signing of the Jeff Weltman era. If anything, Orlando was looking for a point guard who could keep things afloat and keep the team steady. New management did not see D.J. Augustin as that point guard. Mack comes in hoping to provide the veteran stability the Magic hoped for when they signed D.J. Augustin last summer.

Mack has had a long career playing this role. It may not mean he makes a big statistical impact. In fact, it is quite likely someone looking at a box score would barely notice Mack or his contributions. But that never gets to what makes Mack valuable. He is just rock solid at about everything he does.