First, the undeniable facts:
Tim Hardaway Jr. was a star for the Mavericks at Minnesota with 28 points, six rebounds and six assists. The team was plus-8 in the 41 minutes (yes, 41) he was on the court.
The flip side is that Mavericks were a dreadful minus-14 in the seven minutes he did not play.
This reinforces one of the NBA’s oldest truisms. When your star is off the court, good teams find a way to hold the fort down, not burn it down.
Usually, Luka Dončić is the Mavericks’ superstar and it’s up to others to keep the ship floating when he’s off the court.
Against the Wolves, it was Hardaway who stepped into that role. And he’s been jumping into different roles all season.
It’s always risky in any business when you ask a person who fills one important job to move over and do another person’s job. It’s a lot to ask.
But Hardaway has been the one Maverick this season who has been willing and able to do just about whatever is required of him. Comfort zones? He doesn’t need them. He’ll carry an extra load of responsibility if he has to, which is a great asset in times like these.
And lately, he’s carried plenty of weight. In the last four games, Hardaway has averaged 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4 assists while shooting 36.6 percent from 3-point range. The Mavericks are 2-2 in those games.
That’s among the many reasons why the veteran shooting guard and his teammates are hoping to capitalize on the upcoming set of home games against Minnesota Tuesday night and Milwaukee on Thursday.
That requires navigating the uncertain COVID-19 minefield and doing the right things to keep everybody safe.
Hardaway is as aware as anybody of the responsibilities of the NBA and its players.
“Just stay safe and do your best to try to get ready for games,” Hardaway said. “Obviously, everybody sees it. But we can only control what we can control and that’s going out there with the guys we have an playing hard.”
That’s Step 1 to digging out of the 14-15 spot the Mavericks are in. Step 2 would be figuring out how to solve offensive inconsistencies, particularly in the fourth quarter when the Mavericks have been getting lapped by the competition lately.
In their last four losses, they have been outscored 96-63 in the fourth quarter, or 24-to-15.8, on average. Their shooting from 3-point range in those quarters: 5-of-42, 11.9 percent).
“If I had the answer, I’d tell you,” Hardaway said about the inconsistencies.
He then identified a possible culprit – and it’s not the offensive end of the floor.
“I don’t even think it’s offense,” he said. “You look at the defense, 27, 29, 30 in the first three quarters for the Timberwolves (on Sunday). We got to be better. That’s all I can say.”
His point is that, unlike a good legal movie, the defense should never rest.
For Hardaway, that also means always being prepared for whatever role comes next. So far this season, it’s been a safe bet that he’ll handle it, whatever it is.
Twitter: @ESefko
Share and comment