Tim Hardaway Jr. Eager to Re-Join Mavs in New Role Next Season
The Dallas Mavericks finished the 2021-22 season with Tim Hardaway Jr. sidelined as he recovered from surgery to repair a foot fracture. He last appeared in a game on Jan. 25 during the team's 130-92 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Hardaway Jr. played 42 games this season before undergoing surgery. He averaged 14.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, but was unable to convert at his regular clip from deep. He shot just 33.6 percent from beyond the arc after shooting a combined 39.4 percent the two seasons prior.
“I’m just happy I can go into an offseason healthy, for the most part,” Hardaway said. “It was gut-wrenching to go out there sitting on the sideline each and every day and not be able to actually play and help the team go out there and compete on every single possession.
“But I did the best I could, for the most part, with Theo and the bench mob, just trying to be that energy giver, not the energy drainer. Just trying to come in every single day, work my tail off trying to get back.”
A lot has changed since Hardaway Jr. last was in the Mavericks' lineup. The most notable difference is the acquisition of Spencer Dinwiddie in the trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards. With Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson, and Dinwiddie in the fold, where does Hardaway Jr. fit?
The Mavericks often deployed Brunson and Dinwiddie together in plug-and-play lineups throughout games. Hardaway Jr. could play at the three spot from a positional standpoint. He'd help enhance their floor spacing whether in spot-up or when his motion shooting and gravity are utilized in half-court actions.
“I’m definitely excited to talk to the coaching staff, J-Kidd, Nico (Harrison, general manager) and really get an idea moving forward of what they see (for) myself,” Hardaway said after the season ended. “I’m pretty sure they know and everybody else knows what I can do. Just moving forward, just trying to see what role I do actually play. And we’ll go from there.”
There is always the possibility the Mavericks could shake up their roster in the offseason after retaining Brunson as planned. There has already been an expressed desire to add more rim protection and rebounding, which could potentially be acquired with Hardaway Jr.'s contract being included in a trade.
Gaining a 6-foot-5 shooter would surely help the Mavericks to have more depth to deploy effective small-ball lineups when they need. Having more depth in the fold in case a key player goes down with injury wouldn't hurt either.
The impact Hardaway Jr. provided against the LA Clippers in the 2021 playoffs shouldn't be understated. When the opposition deployed small lineups, Doncic received helpful contributions from Hardaway Jr. with an average of 17.0 points per game while shooting 40.4 percent from deep.
