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WATCH: Mavs’ Tim Hardaway Jr. Looking Sharp in Miami Pickup Game
On Jan. 25 in San Francisco, Tim Hardaway Jr.’s 2021-22 season with the Dallas Mavericks came to an end as he sustained a foot fracture against the Golden State Warriors that required surgery. Perhaps that was some sort of weird foreshadowing, as the Mavs’ season also ended in San Francisco as the Warriors ran away with the Western Conference Finals in five games.
As the 2022-23 NBA season nears, Hardaway Jr. is eager to get back to the same efficiency he displayed in the two seasons prior to last year. Even before his injury, Hardaway Jr. was averaging 14.2 points per game while shooting just 33.6 percent on 3s. In the previous two seasons, he averaged 16.2 points per game and shot 39.4 percent from deep.
If Hardaway Jr.’s latest Instagram post is any indication, the nine-year veteran seems poised for a big bounce-back season.
After losing Jalen Brunson to the New York Knicks in free agency this summer, the Mavs need Hardaway Jr. to be on his A-game again. With Spencer Dinwiddie expected to join Luka Doncic in the starting lineup, Hardaway Jr.’s production off the bench could play a big factor in how high the Mavs’ ceiling is this season.
Hardaway Jr.’s playoff experience is something the Mavs could’ve really used in their WCF series against the Warriors. In back-to-back playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, Hardaway Jr. averaged 17.4 points while shooting 37.8 percent from deep.
You can follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter at @dalton_trigg
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