Jaden Hardy logged just a tick over two minutes of action on Monday, but the Dallas Mavericks rookie made the most of that time in a win over the Phoenix Suns.
With the Mavericks sporting a healthy 21-point lead, head coach Jason Kidd opted to sub in Hardy for the final 2 minutes and 25 seconds. Hardy responded by producing a career-high 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field.
Hardy got into the paint seemingly at will against the Suns’ bench players and converted a couple of tough finishes. He also got to the free-throw line twice and converted both attempts.
“He got to play there at the end and he played well. He played the right way,” Kidd said. “Hopefully, we can continue to put him in those situations that are positive. There are things that we can always teach (like) trying not to foul when you’re off-ball, but he is young and is going to make some mistakes. It is always good to have him on the floor late in a game just to get him some minutes.”
Jaden Hardy scored 10 points on 4-5 FG, 2-2 FT in about 2 minutes to end the Mavericks' win over the Suns. He was very aggressive in attacking the basket. It's safe to say he made the most of his time. pic.twitter.com/PPL1yrmXwE
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) December 6, 2022
The appearance by Hardy on Monday was his fifth of the season and second in a row. He logged six minutes of work on Saturday in a 21-point win over the New York Knicks and finished with five points and one rebound.
The 37th pick has primarily played in the NBA G League with the Texas Legends this season. He is second in the G League in scoring after averaging 29 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists on 48.2% shooting from 3-point range in nine games.
Luka Doncic is a fan of Hardy and has been impressed by him.
Being able to play in the NBA is amazing but I think he has a really bright future ahead. He has, obviously, shown that he can play even in the preseason and when he was practicing with us. He was amazing. He was hitting shots and making plays. He can really play.
The Mavericks’ plan for Hardy this season was to bring him along slowly, getting him a taste of the NBA. He has impressed in a limited sample size and has proven he can perform when given minutes.
The team loved the addition of Hardy and viewed him as a first-round talent. He proved a strong scorer last season with the G League Ignite and has shown that this year. Slipping to the second round could end up being a steal for Dallas.
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