Mavs Coach Jason Kidd Hints at New Role for Tim Hardaway Jr.
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks finished the 2022-23 season with an underachieving 38-44 record. Not only was that not enough to make the playoffs, the team failed to even qualify for the play-in tournament. It was a fall far from pulling off a run to the Western Conference Finals one season prior.
A lack of results tends to result in change for any team. The Mavs were busy this offseason, beginning with adding an infusion of young talent in the form of Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper through the NBA Draft. Dallas continued to make changes and ultimately added veterans, including Grant Williams, Richaun Holmes, Seth Curry, Derrick Jones Jr., and Dante Exum.
The Mavs have plenty of options when it comes to making lineup determinations around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving this season. The only confirmed starters include the two superstar guards, along with Grant Williams at the four. The rest? It's considered as being "up for grabs" entering training camp.
Tim Hardaway Jr. could is among the Mavs' various players that could see a different role in 2023-24. He was a common name brought up in trade rumors, but he ultimately was not moved. Dallas finished 25th in defensive rating and 30th in total rebounding percentage, with Hardaway's lack of size on the wing next to Doncic and Irving being among contributing factors.
Hardaway could find himself in a new role compared to the starting wing spot he filled to end last season. Mavs coach Jason Kidd revealed that he plans to have a discussion with Hardaway about focusing on competing for Sixth Man of the Year by thriving in a bench role.
"I'm excited again for Timmy, looking to talk to him about being Sixth Man of the Year," Kidd said in a recent radio interview. "That would help our team and put us in a really good seat if he's up for Sixth Man of the Year. I think he's capable of doing that."
The shooting that Hardaway provided the Mavs when he was hot proved to be one of the key swing factors for the team last season. He averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 71 games and shot 38.5 percent from 3-point range on 7.7 attempts per game. The team achieve a 22-15 record when he recorded three or more makes from deep in a game.
