Bulls Edge Mavs: Welcome To The Jaden Hardy Party

Jaden Hardy had a huge impact in his first summer league game for the Dallas Mavericks.

Jaden Hardy wasted little time showing the league why he was a huge steal for the Dallas Mavericks at the 37th overall pick in this year's draft. 

The G League Ignite alum showed off various aspects of his game in their 100-99 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday, one of his primary highlights being his ability to get to the rim whenever he wanted. 

Hardy would finish Friday's game with 28 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal. A showcase of his leaping ability was marred by a missed dunk attempt, but the athleticism cannot be denied. The one aspect of his game that needs to be improved on is his protecting the ball, as he finished the game with six turnovers.

Several of Hardy's future teammates were on hand to witness the coming-out party: Christian Wood, Reggie Bullock, and Dorian Finney-Smith were courtside and did little to hide their enthusiasm.

@dallasmavs thank you for drafting @JadenHardy1 he’s a steal 🔥🔥

— 35 (@Chriswood_5) July 8, 2022

Theo Pinson, Mark Cuban, and Josh Green were also in Vegas to catch the action. Green was even said to have been doing some training while in town. 

AJ Lawson, potentially battling for the last two-way roster spot on the roster, was another star of Friday's opener, finishing with 28 points, and shooting 6-for-11 from three-point range while pulling down five rebounds.

The Mavs (0-1) will return to Summer League action on Monday night when they battle the Utah Jazz's prospects (9 p.m. CT, NBA TV). This will be Hardy's next game to prove to the teams that passed on him that they might just have been wrong.

Hardy was ranked as the second-best projected prospect, but he slipped this year by the time he was ready to put his name in the draft pool. There were several aspects of his game that showed he might have a little bit of motivation from him falling as far as he did. 

If Friday was any indication, however, a cordial invitation to the Hardy Party has been extended.