One Thing This Young Player Must Improve for the Mavericks

With additions in the Mavericks' backcourt this offseason, what does the former Ignite guard need to do to break the rotation?

Keenan Womack | Aug 29, 2024

May 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (1) gestures against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the fourth quarter of game four of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

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Last year, guard Jaden Hardy averaged 13 minutes per game for the Dallas Mavericks, scoring 7.3 points per game on a 49.2% effective field goal rate and shooting 36.2% from three on 3.2 attempts. Though these stats are not particularly insightful without context, it should be noted that from the 2022-23 season to the 2023-24 season, Hardy saw a regression across nearly every statistical category. Of course, a primary reason for this was the acquisition of guard Kyrie Irving, but the dip in production goes beyond this one simple fact.

With offseason signings of guard Spencer Dinwiddie, as well as Quentin Grimes and Klay Thompson, the path to more minutes for Hardy has certainly narrowed. The question is, what does Hardy have to improve upon in order to remain a rotational player for the Mavericks?

The most important area of improvement for Jaden Hardy is his efficiency when driving to the basket, and limiting his turnovers when doing so. Against Minnesota on January 31st, Hardy had five giveaways, nearly all of which were on out-of-control drives to the basket, which resulted in his mishandling the dribble or throwing errant passes. Some of these turnovers were due to his telegraphing the intended location of the ball when finding an open shooter, allowing the defense to adjust on the fly and intercept him.

To be fair, Hardy was being asked to do too much in this game which lacked the presence of Luka Doncic and Irving. Still, Hardy has an 11% turnover rate when attacking the rim off the dribble, part of which is due to the lack of an elite functional handle that would otherwise allow him to either score or pass out of a drive.

Hardy generated just 0.894 points per possession on drives last season, placing him in the 30th percentile in the NBA, according to Synergy Sports. He is also predictable on these drives, as he attacks the basket from the top of the key 51.4% of the time, which is in the 80th percentile.

The fix would be to advise Hardy to take more caution when driving the rim – his three-point percentage is decent enough that he can attack the occasional closeout, so that is a positive. But the key will be playing with pace on the ball. Though he doesn't have the physical size Doncic has to keep players on his back hip and limit the opponent's ability to rip his dribble, Hardy does have explosive quickness. What will be important is to use that attribute wisely and not play full speed immediately when attacking the basket.

If he can shore up his handle and play more disciplined while driving, he could remain in the rotation and take minutes from a player like Dinwiddie. Still, it will be an uphill battle for the former second-round pick, who had a pedigree but needs to put it all together on the offensive end.

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Published Aug 29, 2024

KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.