Dallas Basketball

Mavs Rookie Jaden Hardy 'Taking Advantage' of His Opportunity As a Starter

With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving out with injuries, Dallas Mavericks rookie Jaden Hardy has been handed the keys to the car as well as anyone could've expected.

Michael Mulford

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DALLAS – The Dallas Mavericks have hit a three-game losing streak at the worst possible time following Monday's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, 104-88.

The Mavs were without both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for the second consecutive game, which gave rookie Jaden Hardy his second-career start.

Hardy's first NBA start came on Saturday's matchup against the Grizzlies, finishing with 22 points, two rebounds, and three assists on 9-of-21 shooting from the floor.

On Monday, Hardy led the Mavericks with a game-high 28 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block on 9-of-25 shooting and 5-of-15 from downtown.

"I think he's grown here. He's had an incredible run in the sense of work and being able to play," Kidd said of Hardy on Monday. "Tonight, being able to get to the paint, to score, to shoot and then also to play-make to find open teammates when he was driving – and the ball touched the paint. A lot of good things."

With both Doncic and Irving out, Hardy has been the primary ballhandler and playmaker for the Mavericks over the last two games, showcasing both his ability to score the ball at will while also proving to still be a rookie at heart with some of his decision making.

“I feel like, just coming out, trying to be there for my teammates when they need me and just staying ready whenever my name is called," Hardy said following Monday's loss. "Being in this position, [I’m] just trying to take advantage of it.”

If both Doncic and Irving, plus Wood, are going to be out in a game where, let's be honest, a loss is likely coming, letting Hardy take the reins is something Kidd should be okay with. He needs to let the rookie make plays and learn from his mistakes in real NBA minutes.

But, is Hardy ready for postseason minutes? Kidd's not so sure.

"Let's not talk playoff minutes yet," Kidd said when asked about Hardy's role in the playoffs. "We've got 13 more games, so let's get the 13 games in and minutes there as we get healthy and go forward. Let's just finish the season off before we start talking playoff minutes."

And finish those 13 games off they should, because Dallas finds themselves in a tailspin down the Western Conference standings, having lost nine of its last 12 games. 

For Hardy to get some run in the postseason, the Mavericks have to make it there first.

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Michael Mulford
MICHAEL MULFORD

Michael Mulford is a writer/editor for Dallas Basketball, where he extensively covers the Dallas Mavericks. He also covers the Chicago Bulls as the Managing Editor for Bulls Wire of USA Today Sports Media Group. Mulford grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and graduated from the University of North Texas in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Event, and Sports Management. He began his pursuit of sports writing in 2017 with Dallas Sports Fanatic, where he covered the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, Texas Legends. He then became the Managing Editor of Dallas Sports Fanatic just one year later and has covered the Mavericks as a credentialed media member since 2018, including covering numerous playoff games between 2021-22 and covering the team at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in 2019. In his time covering the Mavericks, Mulford has conducted numerous interviews for exclusive stories including with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, former Maverick and current VP of Basketball Ops Michael Finley, former Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson, and more. You can follow and interact with Mulford on Twitter at @TheMulf.

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