SUMMER LEAGUE: Gm 5 84-95 loss, JH 15 pts, 3 ast, 3 rbd, 7 TO

[hakeemfaan]

I can understand the “start him off simple” POV about Hardy playing off-ball. But…

I think playing off-ball is a whole different skillset, and much more difficult than many of us realize. 

And, I think the entire allure of Hardy is his ability to create shots (for himself, so far) off of the dribble. My opinion is that you lean into what he is, because that’s why you drafted him. 

If that takes longer, it takes longer. The mistake would be positioning yourself to NEED him to play right away if he’s not up to it.

Agreed we don’t need to put a limit on him but at the same time I don’t think we need to wait it out either. What after 2 years he still has shaky handles in traffic and makes poor decisions? Regardless of why they drafted him the ultimate goal is to hit on a draft pick. So what if he is a Klay or a Reggie Miller or a RIP type than a Beal type off guard?


I think every player like him who has a really good looking shot would probably benefit a lot if they are forced to play off the ball a lot in their early years. It will slow down the game for him plus force him to be patient and work hard for shots. Whether he eventually becomes a much more adept ball handler or not the ability to play off ball a lot can only help him.