Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

2018 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Shelvin Mack

By Philip Rossman-Reich

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)
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) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
Shelvin Mack, Utah Jazz
Milwaukee, WI – MARCH 20: Shelvin Mack #8 of the Utah Jazz shoots the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 20, 2016 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 2016 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /

What To Look For

It is hard to pinpoint exactly what impact Shelvin Mack makes on the floor. The general sense is he makes a positive one.

Last year for the Utah Jazz, he averaged 7.8 points per game and 2.8 assists per game in 55 games and 21.9 minutes per game. Mack shot a 49.5 percent effective field goal percentage. He struggled a bit early in the season but came on strong later in the year, providing key point guard minutes as George Hill struggled with injury for the Jazz.

After the All-Star Break, Mack averaged 10.2 points per game and shot a 51.4 percent effective field goal percentage. This is more in line with the kind of play the Magic are hoping to get from him.

Mack has rarely hit that high for long. His two highest scoring seasons came in the last two years, and he topped off at 8.6 points per game.

Mack has gained a reputation around the league as just a solid backup point guard option. He keeps things steady by making open shots, not making mistakes and being a solid defender. Keep him in that role, and Mack can have a lot of success. He proved that last year at the end of the year with the Jazz.

Overall he generally has a positive effect on the floor. But his statistical impact is still relatively small. It is hard to express what Mack does well by looking at his box score.

Really what he does is provide a solid base for his team to grow from. Particularly with bench units. Keeping that boat steady is key for bench units.  Sometimes Mack’s best skill is to stay out of the way.

He will do that when his team asks him to do that. And he will take a step forward if he is left open, hitting open shots or attacking to get to the mid-range. That is where he can operate too.