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The Dallas Mavericks still have a few days to go before their first preseason game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. The team is hoping to build on the surprising success of last season’s Western Conference Finals run.
To make up for the loss of Jalen Brunson to the New York Knicks, the Mavs traded for power forward/center Christian Wood and signed former Golden State Warriors champ Javale McGee. The team is also getting the return of a healthy Tim Hardaway, Jr., who missed extended time last season with an injury.
But the Mavs know what they’re getting in NBA-tested Wood, McGee, and Hardaway. The same can’t be said of incoming rookie Jaden Hardy. Hardy was a consensus top-two recruit out of high school, behind (coincidentally) Oklahoma City rookie Chet Holmgren.
During training camp, head coach Jason Kidd opened up about his excitement in incorporating Hardy’s talent into the team’s lineup.
“I think you can look at it that way where the experience of playing against other NBA players in the G League, maybe he has a little cheat sheet as a rookie participating in those games,” Kidd said during training camp. “But I think also the summer and working in the summer and understanding what was coming (has helped).”
Kidd isn’t the only one gushing about Hardy’s potential.
Wood: Hardy ‘Is a Steal’
In case you didn’t know, the Mavericks did not have a top-two pick in last year’s draft. So how’d they land a former consensus No. 2 high school recruit? It’s simple: he fell.
Hardy’s fall was steep. He fell out of the lottery, out of the early-20s, until he wound up out of the first round altogether. Eventually, the Sacramento Kings/Dallas Mavericks ended Hardy’s draft-night slide by taking him 37th in the second round.
In short, the Mavs are hoping a lackluster showing in the G-League was a mere blip compared to his years of pedigree and potential. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor compared Hardy to the likes of Bradley Beal, Cam Thomas, and Dion Waiters in his 2022 draft guide.
So far, Kidd isn’t the only one singing the guard’s praises.
“He’s a steal. I’m telling you. He’s a steal,” Christian Wood said to reporters during camp.
If Hardy develops into a Bradley Beal-type player, there’s no question he’d be considered a steal by the Mavericks. One of the biggest knocks on Hardy’s game is his lack of playmaking. But next to Luka Doncic, the pressure to create will be eased from the incoming rookie.
Hardy opened up during camp about what he’s doing to prepare for next season as a rookie.
Hardy: ‘I’m Just Keeping The Game Simple’
Going from high school to the G-League can be a difficult transition. Playing in college gives youngsters a sort of NBA-lite by competing against players in different stages of their careers. But going straight to the G-League often means a still-developing 18-year-old is launched into the deep end of the kiddie pool against grown adults looking for their own shot on an NBA roster.
It can be a lot for a young player to process. To that end, Hardy isn’t trying to over-complicate things.
“Really, I’m just going out there by keeping the game simple and making the right read and making the simple play,” Hardy said to DallasMavericks.com. “I felt like just being out there it was going to come to me. It felt great to be out there playing in front of the fans for the first time and just competing against the guys.
Fortunately, too much shouldn’t be asked of Hardy early in his career. Superstar Luka Doncic should bear the lion’s share of offensive responsibilities, giving Hardy an excellent mentor to learn from.
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