Mavs' Jaden Hardy Skyrockets in Re-Draft of NBA's 2022 Class
DALLAS — After one season with the G League Ignite, Jaden Hardy went from being considered among the elite players in his high school recruiting class to going No. 37 overall to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Hardy began the season spending time between playing for the Mavs' G League affiliate — the Texas Legends — and observing from the sidelines. Despite resistance to the calls from "Twitter coaches" to see more of Hardy, much of Hardy's opportunities later in the season were presented due to injuries.
After averaging 28.8 points on .549/.490/.864 shooting splits in 11 performances, it was apparent the strides Hardy had achieved from even just a year ago as a member of the Ignite. However, it wasn't until February that he had begun to see more consistent opportunities with the Mavs. In 16 games from that point on, he averaged 13.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
When looking at the 14 games he played on the season that involved Hardy receiving 20 or more minutes, he averaged 18.9 points and 2.5 assists, while shooting 46 percent overall and 42.9 percent from 3-point range.
When re-drafting the 2022 class, The Athletic's Sam Vecenie placed Hardy at No. 17 overall — 20 selections higher than where he actually was selected. He was the first player that was actually selected din the second-round pick to be re-drafted.
Hardy displayed his explosiveness when attacking bigs in the half-court — even more than during his time with the G League Ignite. In a switch-heavy era of NBA defense, having a backcourt threat that can exploit those advantages is valuable.
"The former top high school prospect showcased even more explosiveness and athleticism than we saw in the G League, especially in transition but also attacking bigs with real blow-by ability in the half court," Vecenie wrote.
Going forward, Hardy still must continue to improve his decision-making and finishing at the rim, but he's shown to be quite an impressive catch-and-shoot and pull-up jump shooter already after just one season.
"He still needs to clean things up in terms of decision-making, and his overall finishing numbers were not that strong, having made about 51 percent of his shots at the basket. But he’s a great shooter off the catch, and his pull-up game remains lethal for a player who played his entire season at 20 years old."
When evaluating the long-term trajectory of Hardy's career, there was a comparison made to Jordan Clarkson's impact on the Utah Jazz. The current projection is that Hardy could end up being a high-level sixth man based on the Mavs' current roster configuration. If so, it limits his re-draft value in comparison.
"He might not end up being more than a terrific sixth man, but he has a shot to post a season or two where he averages 20 points per game, much like Jordan Clarkson did this season for the Jazz," Vecenie wrote. "The only issue with Hardy is that, if he doesn’t reach that insanely high offensive threshold over volume, he’s going to provide a bit less value than the guys such as Braun above him."
Perhaps one of the most important questions of all is why weren't the Mavs utilizing Hardy earlier in the season? There ended up being key points of the season when the rookie had to shoulder a big responsibility in the offense as a top or secondary option as the season increasingly was on the line. That's a lot to ask of a player after receiving limited opportunities, but a testament to his talent and resolve.
Much of Hardy's role in the immediate future will depend on Kyrie Irving's future. The All-Star starter is an impending free agent and while the Mavs hold "optimism" that he will be re-signed this summer, nothing in the NBA is a guarantee until there is a signature on the dotted line.
Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Mavericks? Click Here. Follow DallasBasketball.com on Twitter and Facebook.
