That’s why fellow wing, Dorian Finney-Smith has been such an important part of the team: his length on defense. The Mavs, never seen as a very good defensive team, needed a player to play alongside Luka who could pick up the defensive slack. His length just added to his value on the defensive end of the court. Suddenly THJ started playing more efficiently and took full advantage of the favorable match-ups that came with playing alongside KP and Luka. But when Carlisle started including him in the starting lineup, Hardaway adjusted his game (he’s started 50 of 63 games this season). That way he wouldn’t steal opportunities from Doncic and could shoot more freely. THJ wasn’t always a valuable player with the Dallas Mavericks. Hardaway has become a valuable member of the team and we can probably thank Rick Carlisle for moving Hardaway to the starting lineup to make it all happen. For the first time since the 2016-17 season he’s a net positive in offensive rating over defensive rating. From three-point land THJ improved to over 40 percent (that’s the best in his career). No longer a volume shooter, THJ improved his field goal percentage to. Hardaway’s 15.8 point per game came through improved efficiency and came with strong perimeter defense. But one surprise was a pleasant one: Tim Hardaway Jr.’s emergence. The Dallas Mavericks simply saw it as the cost of doing business.īut the 2019-20 NBA season went off and surprised us. After all, Tim Hardaway was included in the Kristaps Porzingis trade because New York wanted to be rid of his contract, not because he was a prize. It seemed like a foregone conclusion one year ago today that Him Hardaway Jr would opt into the final year of his deal (for the 2020-21 season). has a decision to make, stay with the Dallas Mavericks or test free agency. “Regardless of if I was coming off the bench or if I was starting, I really felt like this was home for me, and I really felt like I created a niche for myself here to be a part of something bigger, bigger than myself.Amidst the indefinite pause to the season, Tim Hardaway Jr. “If you were to talk to anybody in this organization-everybody that’s around me every single day, all the time-they would definitely say I love it here,” Hardaway says. For now, though, he says that Dallas feels like home. When August 2 rolls around-the day teams can begin negotiations with free agents-he’ll likely have several suitors from across the league. He’s taking time to reflect on the season, relax and take his mind off basketball for a little while. We’re obviously looking forward to the appropriate time to sit down with his representation.”įor his part, Hardaway says he hasn’t thought much about his pending free agency. I think there’s some real chemistry there between those three. “He and Kristaps have a terrific relationship going all the way back to New York. “ a really good fit for Luka and Kristaps,” Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson says of Hardaway. These three players could make up the core of the Mavericks’ roster-and the team’s cap space-for years to come. Doncic is expected to sign a super max, five-year rookie scale extension this summer worth some $200 million. However, he will fall to third in earnings for the 2022-23 season as Luka Doncic’s extension kicks in. Such a deal would keep Hardaway the second highest paid player on the roster next season, behind Porzingis, who will earn $31.6 million. Brogdon signed a four-year, $85 million deal with Indiana in July 2019. Perhaps the best comparison for what Hardaway’s future contract could look like is that of Malcolm Brogdon of the Indiana Pacers. Since he views himself as a starter, it means he wants to be paid like one too. Hardaway’s numbers are like Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson’s of the Utah Jazz, who he already out-earns.
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