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At the NBA Trade Deadline the Utah Jazz got involved with the Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls -- and the Jazz effectively just traded a future 2nd rounder for a 3rd string point guard in the fifth year of his career that a playoff team didn't want anymore. That dude was none other than Shelvin Mack, the current starting point guard of the perhaps playoff bound Utah Jazz. Back was Gordon Hayward 's running mate back in college, and has experience with head coach Quin Snyder back when he was an assistant in Atlanta. Since joining the Jazz he went from 7.5 mpg up to 29.2 mpg. That's not just minutes for the sake of minutes, but he's also producing in that time.
In their last game the Utah Jazz beat up the Phoenix Suns 103-69 -- which was almost a franchise low scoring output by our neighbors to the south. Mack was a big deal, not just having a better game than Brandon Knight, but being the best player on the floor for both teams. Mack would finish with 15 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds -- missing the triple double by just two boards. It would have been the first Jazz triple double since C-Booz had one so. many. years. ago.
Somehow there's no upload video of just his work on this night
I looked it up on Basketball-Reference.com and found the list of Jazzmen over the last decade who finished a game (regular season or playoffs) with at least 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. There have been 12 players to do so, and some of the these names are a surprise!
- Deron Williams: 26 times
- Gordon Hayward: 16 times
- Andrei Kirilenko / Carlos Boozer: 12 times
- Paul Millsap: 4 times
- Trey Burke / Earl Watson: 3 times
- Shelvin Mack: 2 times
- Alec Burks / Al Jefferson / Eric Maynor / Joe Ingles: 1 time
I, for one, am not surprised that Matt Harpring isn't on this list. But that's just me. And that's just a pointless mention so that google indexes this post and later on when Harp googles himself he'll find this. And know.
When the Jazz traded for Mack I didn't think he would be our starter, after all, Raul Neto was doing okay in my mind. Since he's been balling it's totally cool to bask in it. That said, I just hope that he is a normal player, and not a crutch. Dante Exum is behind and needs as much playing time as possible. Mack is playing well right now. But Mack is supposed to be a back-up.
All that said, Mack is leading this team to the playoffs while Gordon heals from his plantar fasciitis.
