Atlanta Hawks: Shelvin Mack 2013-14 Season Review
By Adam McGee
Since being drafted with the 34th pick of the 2011 draft, Shelvin Mack has spent a lot of time being bounced from one team to another. The pressures of a 10-day contract are no fun for an NBA player, and Mack has been on his fair share of them. After two such contracts back in March 2013, something seemed to click though, and Mack found a home with the Atlanta Hawks.
With a lack of depth at point guard, and combo guard Louis Williams out injured, the acquisition of Mack made sense for the Hawks. In the final two months of that season, Mack proved to be a really solid contributor. By the time training camp came around at the start of last season many still thought that Mack would be cut, though.
In the end, the 24-year-old played great, intelligent basketball throughout the preseason, doing enough to convince general manager Danny Ferry and head coach Mike Budenholzer to keep him on for another year.
With Dennis Schroeder taken with one of the Hawks two first-round draft picks last summer, it was assumed that Mack was going to be third choice in the rotation, but early in the season he established himself as the more efficient and reliable option, jumping over the young German in the rotation.
From that point on, Mack showcased his improving skills all season. Perhaps most memorably that included a 20-point performance in Game 5 of the Hawks’ playoff series with the Pacers.
Let’s take a closer look at Mack’s season, as he has proven he belongs in the NBA for years to come.