Utah Jazz: Even the Blazers Were Impressed By Shelvin Mack

Despite a frustrating loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz newcomer Shelvin Mack had an incredible debut that even caught the eye of his opponents.

The Utah Jazz’s Sunday night match-up against the Portland Trail Blazers was an exhilarating, albeit disappointing, game. After getting off to a slow start, the Jazz raced to an enormous lead after falling short in the end due greatly to the superb play of Portland’s backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. The dynamic duo finished with 61 points between the two of them to effectively sink the Jazz.

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Nevertheless, for the first time in practically the entire season, the Jazz were able to answer with some effective point guard play of their own in newcomer Shelvin Mack. Mack was fantastic in his first game in a Jazz jersey putting up 16 points on 7 of 11 shooting while adding six assists and just one turnover. Not bad at all for his first day on the new job.

Mack’s slick finishes and sharp passes to the interior were a key part of a large Jazz run that got them up big in the early part of the game. His play was so solid that even the Portland Trail Blazers took notice on Twitter:

And their petition to the Atlanta Hawks was justified. Not only did Mack play solid offense, but he was an absolute stud on the defensive end. Despite Lillard finishing with 30 points, Mack kept him in check while he was on the floor. Almost half of Lillard’s points came during a stretch in the third quarter where he hit four straight threes. Unsurprisingly, these came while Mack was on the bench.

Mack finished the game with a team-high plus-minus of plus-14, much better than Raul Neto (minus-14) or Trey Burke (minus-three) put up that night. No matter how you look at it, Mack played an important role in a game that Utah could have won and probably would have won if they had any other reliable defensive point guard option.

Opposing point guards have given the Jazz trouble all year and Lillard has been no exception. While Mack likely isn’t enough alone to push the Jazz to the promise land, he should at least help them improve on that front as he has the size and athletic ability to challenge opposing guards. Although Mack’s sample size of one single game is very small, there’s no debating that it was an impressive start and bodes well for the future.

So now the question becomes, how will Quin Snyder manage point guard minutes and rotations for the remainder of the season? Will Mack continue to come off the bench to provide a much-needed spark? Or will he quickly work his way into the starting position and gobble up the most meaningful minutes?

My guess is that based on Mack’s performance in his Jazz debut, Snyder will have no choice but to put him on the floor from the get-go and give him the majority of the point guard minutes. Mack was impressive in the playoffs two years ago as he gave the top-seeded Indiana Pacers trouble and played important minutes in the Hawks’ series last season when the team needed a spark against Cleveland. However, overall his playing time was greatly restricted as he found himself third on the depth chart behind Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder.

Nevertheless, Mack is better than his former depth chart position indicates. He has found a new home where he should be a great fit and has the potential to play a key role in the Jazz’s push for a playoff spot.

Utah’s loss to Portland was frustrating to be sure, but if Mack’s superb play, which caught even the eye of the opponent, is any indication of what he can do for the Jazz, then there could be some big strides for the team just ahead.

Next: Utah Jazz Fall to Portland Trail Blazers

Stay strong, Jazz fans. And know that Shelvin Mack has arrived.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com/stats