Former Mavericks Player's Father Rips Team For NBA Finals Rotation

Former Dallas Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr.'s father had some words on the team's NBA Finals run.

May 13, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and center Dereck Lively II (2) and forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) look on during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder in game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks are rolling into the 2024-25 NBA season with some momentum following them. Sure, the offseason addition of Klay Thompson will do that for a club, but Dallas played in the NBA Finals a season ago.

As any player or team will attest to, making an appearance in the NBA Finals is incredibly difficult. Along the way, changes and sacrifices have to be made. For the Mavericks, one of those changes was a dwindling role for Tim Hardaway Jr.

The former Mavericks guard spent time in each of the last six seasons with the organization. Still, when the team -- led by superstar Luka Doncic -- finally made a run to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011, the 32-year-old guard had to take a bit of a backseat.

READ MORE: What Will Spencer Dinwiddie's Role Be This Season for the Mavericks?

Hardaway's father, Tim Hardaway Sr., struggled to watch his son have his role shrink as the playoffs went on.

“He went from someone they paid that was playing a lot then all of a sudden just wasn't playing no more," Hardaway Sr. said. "As a pops, it’s tough knowing that your son’s supposed to be out there.”

“He went from someone they paid that was playing a lot then all of a sudden just wasn't playing no more... As a pops, it’s tough knowing that your son’s supposed to be out there.”

Tim Hardaway Sr. on the Mavericks Finals run 👀

(via @allthesmokeprod)pic.twitter.com/TwDPVDGWi8

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 26, 2024

Hardaway played an average of 26.8 minutes per game in the regular season. He was a regular in the lineup and was playing a hefty role. By the time the postseason hit, he was playing under 13 minutes per contest and only played in 14 of the 22 games.

It's normal for teams to shorten the rotation and play key guys only when the playoffs hit -- especially a team that makes an NBA Finals appearance. Unfortunately for the veteran guard, he was the one impacted by the changes.

Now, Hardaway is a member of the Detroit Pistons as a veteran on a young team. His floor spacing and locker room presence could help uplift the team through their rebuild.

READ MORE: Mark Cuban Thought Kyrie Irving Was 'Team Killer' Before Trade

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