Expectations
Shelvin Mack was the last man to join the Hawks roster after stints with Washington and Philadelphia. He signed to a series of 10 day contracts as the Hawks tried to decide which area of the roster most needed extra depth. Ultimately various injuries to Devin Harris and Jeff Teague made it clear that 2 point guards were not enough. In keeping Shelvin for the rest of the season, the Hawks didn’t have high expectations. You rarely do with a 3rd PG. Basically they just fill in when needed and you hope they make a positive contribution. The Hawks had a convenient yard stick though as they had another PG earlier in the year on a couple 10 day contracts. If Shelvin performed better than Jannero Pargo did earlier in the year then it would be seen as a successful stint.
Results
Shelvin Mack played in 20 games for the Hawks and averaged 13.4 minutes per game. That’s not bad for a 3rd PG. What stands out to me is that Shelvin shot 48.8% from the field including 40% from 3 point range. Jannero shot 34.2% and 35% from 3 point range during his brief stint. The eFG% for Shelvin was .571 which was 2nd on the roster behind Kyle Korver. You got to call Shelvin a success story.
Highlight
It’s not easy to remember a specific highlight for Shelvin. He often played heavy minutes during those patented "Larry Drew benches the starters for the rest of the game instead of figuring out when to put the starters back in to try to win" games. I guess my favorite game for Shelvin was the March 13th game against the Lakers. Jeff Teague was out with an injury and Shelvin hadn’t hit a shot in his week with the Hawks. Shelvin logged over 13 minutes on the court and made 3 of 5 shots including a 3 pointer and dished out 2 assists. That was the first time I think people thought he might be worth signing for the rest of the season.
Prognosis
I expect Shelvin to be with the Hawks Summer League team and in training camp. Whether he sticks into regular depends a lot on the draft and Jeff Teague’s restricted free agency as much as his own performance. Mack looks like a solid 3rd PG. He will probably be evaluated on his potential to fill the 2nd PG spot. If the Hawks draft a PG there may not be room for him though. However if the Hawks are looking for a dependable fill-in behind Teague and Lou Williams, he may be the best option especially if he keeps shooting well with more attempts.