Dallas Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. is one of the team's longest-tenured players and has been in contention for Sixth Man of the Year all season due to his great play off the bench, especially his lights-out shooting from in front of the basket. is deeply embedded in Downtown.
This season in Dallas, Hardaway Jr. is averaging 16.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.5 steals per game while shooting 41.3 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from downtown. Hardaway Jr. has been Dallas' third scorer all season, but that could change soon.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd hinted in a recent press conference that P.J. Washington will be the team's third scorer, with Washington outperforming Hardaway Jr. on both ends of the floor. .
Hardaway Jr. and Washington are in different positions and obviously won't get minutes apart from each other, but Hardaway Jr. will have to find a way to be consistently effective. He's been in a big slump lately and has hurt the Mavs more than he's helped.
This is easier said than done, especially for shooters, but it's clear that Hardaway Jr.'s shooting will have a huge impact on whether the Mavs win or lose. This season, the Mavs are 14-6 in games in which Hardaway Jr. makes at least four 3-pointers. If Hardaway Jr. makes a shot, the Mavs often win.
But his biggest weakness, which has gotten worse lately, is his shot selection.
Hardaway Jr. always takes questionable shots, and he takes those questionable shots often, but if he keeps hitting bad shots when he's not making them, it's going to ruin the offense.
It's a difficult tightrope for a player like Hardaway Jr. to walk. His primary job is shooting 3-pointers, but he has to find ways to change the way he plays a little bit to make the whole team better.
Jaden Hardy is someone who has changed his style of play a little bit this season, but he has been playing some of the best basketball of his career lately and that is working wonders for him and his development. Hardy hasn't played much lately, but he makes a positive impact when he's on the floor.
Hardy used to be a player who often took bad shots and could kill offenses, but that has stopped in the last month or two. He is now a much better creator and able to make his games his own.
Hardaway Jr. shouldn't take a page out of Hardy's book and be all that convinced about making bad shots, but then again, that's easier said than done.
Check out the latest information on Tim Hardaway Jr., Jaden Hardy, and the Dallas Mavericks this season.
