Game 4 DIRKIE: G-Will!!

[DanSchwartzgan]

I went with Hardy.  He elevated his game (which used to be a criteria for this).  He played a critical role in keeping the offense going late and he made good decisions (vs. what we saw the game before).  I went back and rewatched his 4th quarter stint (which was six of the last seven minutes of the game).  Here is what he did:

Drive and dish which led to a hockey assist on a GWill three.

Hesitation move on a drive that led to an easy layup.

Drew (kind of) a blocking foul on Caruso

Dribbled into a double team and lost the ball (Green saved the TO, but possession was blown)

Allowed Caruso to score on him way too easily

Caruso leaves him in the dust on another move, but then throws it away into the net on a cross court pass.

Missed three (GWill clotheslined after we got the offensive board).

Missed baseline runner

Made three to put Dallas up six 106-100 (if that shot is missed, this is a different game)

D Rebound

Missed layup into traffic

Like I said immediately after the game, he wasn’t perfect by any means.  But, he made important shots.  Kidd would have been crushed if it didn’t work and Hardy might have been in the doghouse if he’d have missed one more shot.

When you focus strictly on Hardy, you see that he’s engaged but ineffective on D.  He doesn’t anticipate what’s coming very well.  He had two times where he probably shouldn’t have driven into traffic, but, he also made a couple of nice passes dribbling into traffic (the hockey assist mentioned here and a pass to Powell earlier in the game).  

I think THJ and Green are firmly entrenched in the 2/3 rotation.  Hardy’s competition is the few minutes being divided between him, Exum and Curry.  Those minutes expand when either Luka or Kyrie are missing.  Those will be the games where he has to show something.  Tonight he did.