Trade & FA 2024-25:

[Smitty]

Summer league goes miserably for everyone on the offensive end, because everyone on the court is constantly desperate to prove they belong in the NBA. That manifests itself, unfortunately, in the opposite of what would probably get teams' attention: a group of guys who know how to play connected, team ball. 

I have never seen any evidence that he can't play PG, at least not in the way the Mavericks mean when they use that term. Use a high screen, penetrate off the dribble with the idea of scoring and kick to the open man if the paint is congested, OR use something out of your mid-range bag. Hardy has made tremendous progress in all of those areas. Heck, I think he might be a more willing passer than Kyrie, tbh. ALL "point guards" are "combo guards" now, especially on teams like Dallas. 

If you're right and he's only going to be a play finisher, then that's just another way of saying he won't make it in the NBA, because guards his size who are only shooters and not also defenders really aren't in demand anymore. If Hardy is to be anything, he needs the BALL. That's everything to his game. To me, the guy with the ball on offense is the point guard.

I feel like we’ve had this conversation before. I could be wrong. We just see a different player. I’ve never once thought he was someone capable of running an offense. He’s an off-ball player. CnS guy 100% and a poor shooter at that. I feel like every team has a Jaden Hardy and ours just isn’t that good. I hate being negative about any Mavs players so I’ll leave this one be. I would love nothing more than to be wrong and him have a breakout year!