(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Last season, after trading for Kyrie Irving, the Dallas Mavericks floundered and missed the play-in tournament even though they were expected to be dark-horse contenders with him.
This season, they have a marginally better roster, but they’re hoping to return to the playoffs and make a deep run there.
If they are to return to the playoffs, one player who will need to step up, especially offensively, is guard Tim Hardaway Jr.
Per Nick Angstadt, he sees himself as both a starter and a reserve at this point.
Tim Hardaway Jr said he still hasn’t had a 1 on 1 conversation with Coach Kidd about his role specifically but said he sees the landscape and still views himself as a hybrid starter/bench guy. pic.twitter.com/skK7MkfwlQ
— Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit) October 17, 2023
Last season, Hardaway started 45 of his 71 games while averaging 14.4 points a game and shooting 38.5 percent from 3-point range.
While he has become a good 3-point shooter over the last few seasons, his overall efficiency has left something to be desired — he has a career average of just 42.0 percent from the field.
The Mavs don’t seem to have the ingredients to become a great defensive team, so they may, to a certain extent, need to win with offense, which is where Hardaway will greatly need to help.
Christian Wood, a solid scoring threat, left in free agency, while Spencer Dinwiddie, who was third in scoring average last year for them, left in the Irving trade.
The Western Conference will be a lot more competitive this season, as several teams that made the playoffs last season will be better, and that means even an improved Mavs team may not make the playoffs.
But at the very least, they could reach the play-in tournament and create some momentum for the near future.
The post Tim Hardaway Jr. Discusses His Role For Mavericks This Season appeared first on The Cold Wire.