Dallas Mavericks is in a desperate situation. The best example of this was the decision to transfer from Kyrie Irving at the risk of losing critical assets of your present and future. Texans want to give Luka Doncic the best possible frame to win, something they’ve consistently failed to do since 2019. However, there is one area where the Mavs have shined lately, which is picking up good talent at low Draft picks. The last to enter this list is named Jaden Hardy.
Selected with the choose 37 in the Second Round, Hardy was one of the gems in the rough in his class. Young, electric, with great scoring ability and a ceiling to discover, he went straight from the institute to G League by Ignite’s hand. Hardy came to the Mavericks with little expectation of minutes due to his inexperience, going straight to the developmental league, but recent events have brought him back to the NBA and the starting rotation.
In his first test since the Irving Hardy trade, he had his best game of the season against the Utah Jazz. A match in which Dallas made the losses to forget and got their first win of the season without Luka Doncic present. winning 124-111 in Salt Lake City. The 20-year-old was the leading scorer for Dallas alongside Josh Green, finishing me off 29 points on 8-of-12 shooting (66.7%), to which he added 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals coming from the bench.
Step 🔙 in the corner 👌 pic.twitter.com/krLqpdaztc
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 7, 2023
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Hardy brought a feverish pace to the game, taking advantage of his speed and movement and wreaking havoc on Utah’s perimeter defense. his turn 9 of 9 on free throws it’s a test of the impact he can have when given a minimal chance.
“He gives us something we don’t have and that’s speed. He’s not afraid to go to the basket.” Jason Kidd said of the guard after the game.
In Dallas they need troops and players who can make an impact after losing two roles as it was Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith. While Jaden Hardy isn’t able to be a fixture in Kidd’s schedule just yet, his continued development could certainly open doors for him in the rotation.
The Mavs know what it’s like to have a talent in a low-round draft that takes time to explode. The most recent case and which they long to repeat was his Jaylen Brunson (pick 33 in 2018), who slowly became an asset to the team until he finally capitalized last season and touched All-Star status in this already defunct franchise. Hardy can follow the same path in terms of development and progression, especially now that Dallas needs the support of whoever is available.
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