Analyzing Mavs' Jaden Hardy; Jazz, Knicks Donovan Mitchell Trade Talk
With the conclusion of NBA Summer League play in Las Vegas, things will be fairly quiet for the Dallas Mavericks until training camp and preseason play begins in September ... that is, if no big trades happen between now and then.
On today's episode of the Mavs Step Back Podcast, I was joined by my DallasBasketball.com colleague Grant Afseth to discuss a wide variety of topics, starting off with analyzing some of the best prospects from Dallas' Summer League team.
A.J. Lawson was the most impressive player for the Mavs in Vegas. He finished Summer League play averaging 15.6 points and six rebounds per game while shooting 51.9 percent from the field, including 50 percent from 3-point range. Lawson's high motor and ability to make an impact on both ends of the floor should give him a great chance of securing a two-way contract with the Mavs. We'll see if that transaction gets done in the coming days or not.
Jaden Hardy, who was the No. 37 pick in the draft, turned heads with his 28-point Summer League debut, but he struggled mightily with his efficiency from that point on. Overall, Hardy finished by averaging 15 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals and four turnovers in 29.5 minutes per game. He shot just 34.7 percent from the field, including 26.9 percent from deep.
Although Hardy's shooting struggles were hard to watch, we discuss why it's best not to overreact too much when it comes to players not finding their groove in Summer League action. The main thing to focus on in that environment is how players respond to adversity. Do they keep playing hard? Are they trying to make up for the lack of scoring by doing other things on the court? That's an area where Hardy showed promise in our opinion, and he should have an easier time developing during his rookie season in a lower-pressured bench role around 10-15 minutes per game.
The next big domino that appears to be primed to fall in the NBA offseason is Donovan Mitchell being traded. Reports recently surfaced stating that the Utah Jazz and New York Knicks have opened discussions on a potential Mitchell deal. A deal was apparently close to happening last week before the Knicks backed away from the negotiating table due to the Jazz asking for too many first-round picks.
Will a trade get done this week? When and if it does, can the Mavs take advantage of the situation by acquiring some of the Jazz's established veteran players, including Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley and Mike Conley? We discuss a number of different scenarios the Mavs could find themselves in, including a potential three-way trade that nets them their 2023 first-round pick back from New York.
Finally, we finish this episode off by talking about 21-year-old Josh Green, who is about to enter his third year in the league. Green was a non-factor for Dallas in the playoffs – aside from his impressive Game 3 performance in the first round against the Jazz – but he took a considerable step forward in his development in the regular season under first-year head coach Jason Kidd. Green went from shooting 16 percent from deep his rookie year to shooting 36 percent in his second year.
If the Mavs don't make anymore moves this offseason, Green's development for the 2022-23 season could be pivotal in determining the team's ceiling. Yes, the Mavs traded for Christian Wood and signed JaVale McGee to enhance their big-man situation, but after losing Jalen Brunson to the Knicks in free agency, another secondary playmaker is needed off the bench ... unless Green can find a way to be that guy.
Green has supreme athleticism and makes his never-ending energy felt on the defensive end of the court, but he's also a really gifted passer as well. If he can harness those abilities while further improving his 3-point shot, the Mavs will be in excellent shape going forward. Let's see if their patience with Green will pay off.
You can follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter at @dalton_trigg
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