Tim Hardaway Jr. Primed for Comeback Season with Mavs

Dallas Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. missed a good chunk of last season with a foot fracture. With Jalen Brunson gone, can THJ get back to his old ways?

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

These past eight months have been interesting for Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. In January, he fractured his foot, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. All the while, his name began popping up in trade rumors and it hasn't stopped since.

Recently, NBAAnalysis.Net proposed trading Hardaway to the Los Angeles Lakers in a package centered around Russell Westbrook. 

It's an interesting proposal, but assuming Dallas keeps Hardaway, where does he fit in with the current roster? 

Mavs.com reporter Eddie Sefko shares his opinion. 

"He’ll likely be coming off the bench, but as always seems to be the case, he will be capable of starting if needed," Sefko said. "He’s been a floater in that regard throughout his tenure in Dallas."

Over the past four years with Dallas, Hardaway has started in 126 games. In his first season with the Mavs, he started in 81.6 percent of games, but since has come off the bench more as players like Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie assumed more of a starting role. 

But with Brunson gone, Hardaway could be primed for a comeback season. 

"Knowing Hardaway, he’s going to come back this year with a vengeance. He’s never backed down from challenges and won’t stop now," Sefko said. "The man isn’t afraid of hard work, which he put in a lot of to recover from the surgery."

In an interview with ESPN over the summer, coach Jason Kidd reiterated the team's faith that Hardaway will be a productive scorer again.

"Hardaway has established himself in three-plus seasons with the Mavericks as a solid perimeter player who can knock down shots and score in bunches when the defense starts paying too much attention to Luka Doncic," Sefko said.  

Doncic appears ready for even a bigger season, considering the work his put into his game and his body this summer. That could be huge for Hardaway, who was averaging 14.2 points before his injury and could be the scoring threat the Mavs need with Brunson gone.