Tim Hardaway Jr. Previews Dallas Mavs Matchup Against LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

Mavs sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr. spoke to reporters before the team's matchup against LeBron James and the Lakers, beginning a two-game road trip.

LOS ANGELES — The Dallas Mavericks are coming off their only set of consecutive losses on the season as they look ahead to getting back on track against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. While the team still has a 9-5 record through 14 games, a turnaround will be needed soon to avoid sliding down the Western Conference standings. 

After having two days since completing a back-to-back that featured losses against the Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings, the Mavs seek a return to their identity and fundamentals. There will naturally be ups and downs for an NBA throughout a regular season, and Dallas aims to make its first losing streak a short one. 

"Happens in the league. There's always another one tomorrow," Mavs sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr. said. "Just come in here, go back to the blueprint, go back to the basics. And then you move on."

A matchup against the Lakers means going up against LeBron James, one of the NBA's greatest-ever individual talents. Despite being in his 21st NBA season, he's averaging 26.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.5 assists before the team's matchup against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday. 

"Anytime you're going against one of the greatest of all time, how can you not wake up for that?" Hardaway asked rhetorically. "[LeBron] has a great group of guys around him right now that are playing really hard, very well. and I'm going out there and competing on both ends of the floor.

"We just got to match their intensity," Hardaway explained. "We know it's going to be a dog fight, so we got to go out there and be ready for it."

There is a great respect for how James continues to play at an unprecedented level for how long he's been in the NBA. Hardaway marveled at how James managed to take care of his body to sustain his proficient production, calling him a "true professional" both on and off the court. 

"He does an amazing job," Hardaway said regarding James. "Everybody knows the story of him taking care of his body in the offseason, making sure that he's a true professional on and off the floor. He takes his work seriously, and it shows."

The Mavs will be in Los Angeles for Thanksgiving as they have a matchup against the Clippers on Saturday before returning to Dallas for a three-game homestand. The team looks forward to having great weather, but with how road-heavy the schedule has been to start the season, it'll be a regular stretch of play.

"We've been on the road so much as you see on the schedule, so it's going be another day at the office," Hardaway said. "Just enjoying the sun in LA and being able to go out there playing in front of our peers, our friends. I know some guys have family out there, so it's going to be fun, and we're a family, so that's all that matters."

Entering the season, the Mavs strongly emphasized improving on defense and rebounding. The team has experienced worse results in many key areas, particularly with worsening results over their last 10 games. The team has a 118.2 defensive rating (26th) on the season, placing them in the NBA's bottom five defensively. 

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James and Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic.  / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

As the Mavs gear up to return to action, Hardaway communicated the team's explicit goal is to tighten things up defensively, with other items on the list being to box out and run the floor. 

"I think it's more so defense, second defense, third transition defense, and fourth boxing out, getting stops, and running," Hardaway said. "That's a pretty good list. We'll take it for defense."

As the Mavs look to regroup amid a losing streak, Hardaway conveyed how opposing teams are getting up to compete against them, requiring them to stay level-headed, whether facing adversity or when results are positive.  

"We're taking everybody's best shot, I would say," Hardaway said. "We just have to do a great job of just making sure that we stay composed, through the good times, the bad times, and when teams make their runs or when we make a run.

"We just have to have that even kill mentality on both ends of the floor and just do our best to go out there, like I said, and compete on both ends of the floor," Hardaway explained. "Everything else will take care of itself."

When discussing causes for the Mavs' defensive slippage, Hardaway emphasized how the coaching staff prepares the players well, but it's up to those on the court to get the job done by sticking to the game plan. 

"The coaches give us the game plan," Hardaway said. "The coaches give us the X's and O's. But as players, we just got to do a great job of just making sure that we stay locked in, know our personnel, and know the game plan and go out there and execute."

Hardaway, averaging 18.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 27.6 minutes per game in 14 games played, has continued to be one of the Mavs' bright spots this season as he succeeds in a sixth-man role. As he continues to thrive in that role, Jamal Crawford — a three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year award recipient — is a player Hardaway can look at as an example, along with Lou Williams and J.R. Smith.

“J-Cross, being a guy that went to Michigan, I’ve definitely watched and seen his career unfold,” Hardaway said. “It’s magical. He (took) that role very seriously. I said before, first and foremost, for you to know that you’re going in that role, you have to embrace it and accept it. That’s what he did. That’s what Lou-Will (Williams) did. That’s what J.R. Smith did. And that’s what I’m trying to do is have that same mentality.”

After ample time to prepare for the Lakers, the Mavs must prove capable of responding to get back on track with a victory. Otherwise, they will enter Saturday's matchup against the Clippers on a three-game slide.