Jaden Hardy Out of Dallas Mavs' Rotation: 'This Isn't CYO'

Mavs guard Jaden Hardy isn't in the rotation to start the season. He told DallasBasketball.com how he's continuing to work on his game.

DALLAS — Through the Dallas Mavericks' first two games of the regular season, the team has yet to deploy second-year guard Jaden Hardy in the rotation. 

Hardy had dealt with an ankle injury late in training camp but was available to play in the Mavs' regular-season opener against the San Antonio Spurs. Right now, the Mavs do not feel there is enough room to work him into the rotation behind Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to deploy Hardy. 

“There’s only so many that can play,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “I can’t play all 15. But he will play at some point. We do have a lot of guards. You have two guards (Luka and Kyrie) that will play, let’s say, 35 [minutes]. There’s not a lot of time for everyone to participate. 

"Again, this isn't CYO where everyone will get a participation ribbon for playing.”

While Hardy may not be in the Mavs' rotation right now, Kidd stressed the importance of patience, considering there will be a time when everyone on the roster is needed to play. 

“You just have to be patient,” Kidd said. “It’s 82 games, hopefully, plus. There will be times (knocking on wood) when Luka or Kai are out, and other guys have to step up and be ready—Hardy’s one of those guys. 

"He’s got to be ready. He’s doing everything, but he was hurt before the opener," Kidd said of Hardy. "At some point, he will get a chance to play, just like [Seth] Curry, Dante [Exum], the two-ways, and the ballboys, so everybody’s going to play.”

Hardy feels he's progressed in getting stronger and faster while maintaining focus on continuing to grow as a playmaker by reading defenses. Defensively, he has maintained an emphasis on learning the nuances of defensive schemes so he can continue to improve on that end. 

"I feel like I've gotten stronger. I've gotten faster," Hardy told DallasBasketball.com in San Antonio. "Just working to develop my playmaking skills, getting better at reading the defense, and just continue to polish up my scoring game. Defensively, knowing our schemes, knowing where I'm supposed to be at. So, I feel like I've gotten better overall."

Another resource Hardy has is to continue to learn from observing how Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving use pace to their advantage. Irving continues to use a hands-on approach in helping Hardy maintain poise and play at his own pace instead of allowing the defense to speed him up. 

"Just trying to plan at your own pace," Hardy told DallasBasketball.com. "Kyrie is always telling them to stay poised and not be sped up, so play at my own pace, and that's pretty much it."

Dallas Mavs guard Jaden Hardy on Media Day / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Mavs continue to work on Hardy's ability to handle duties as the initiator, getting the team into the offense and making more advanced passing reads. Hardy feels he's improved at reading the low man and the help rotations of the defense before making the spray-out pass to the corner. He's also emphasized fine-tuning his re-drives when playing within the flow and going through the stampede.

"I feel like just reading the low man or seeing where the help is coming from," Hardy told DallasBasketball.com. "Being able to spray those passes out to the open man for open shots and re-drive them and catch on like a stampede and stuff like that."

Last year at this time, Hardy was going through his first exposure to the day-to-day of the NBA. He went on to spend time with the Texas Legends and didn't receive minutes until injuries on the Mavs' active roster set in. While Hardy may not be in the rotation right now, he wants to help Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper during their adjustment to the highest level.

"I'll just always be in their ear telling them about my experience, trying to help them out," Hardy told DallasBasketball.com. "Anything they ask me for, any advice they need. Just being on their side when somebody they can lean on, who has been through that experience. I'm just trying to share my experience with them. Both are very talented guys. So just trying to tell them, always remain humble, stay in the gym, and keep working."

Hardy finished his rookie season averaging 8.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 14.8 minutes per game in 48 appearances. He took advantage of opportunities when he played 20 or more minutes; in those 13 games, he averaged 19.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists.