The Dallas Mavericks need all the help they can get from their supporting cast, as Luka Doncic is averaging nearly a triple-double against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
One of the players who needs to step up if they want a chance at coming back from an 0-3 deficit is Tim Hardaway Jr., who has struggled to score throughout the playoffs.
The last time Hardaway Jr. scored a basket in the NBA was on May 18, when Dallas closed out the Western Conference semifinals series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. That day, the 32-year-old finished with only two points, and it’s been nearly a month since he last scored in the NBA.
Hardaway Jr. was the Mavericks' third-leading scorer during the regular season, averaging 14.2 points per game, but due to his offensive struggles, he’s been largely out of the rotation during this NBA Finals run.
It should be noted that he sustained a right ankle injury in the second game of the opening round series against the Clippers, which sidelined him for four games. Afterward, he fell out of the rotation.
Wasted opportunity
Head Coach Jason Kidd gave him an opportunity during Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Celtics, but things didn’t work out for the veteran. The small forward couldn’t get back to his scoring ways, registering 0 points, 0 assists, and 3 rebounds in 19 minutes. He also went 0-5 from the field and 0-3 from beyond the arc, with a game-worst minus-16 rating.
Hardaway Jr. is only averaging 3.8 points per game in the postseason, shooting 27.6 percent from downtown and 34% overall from the field.
It shouldn’t surprise us if we don’t see any more from him for the rest of the playoffs, which is a shame considering he’s the third highest-paid player on the Mavericks roster with a four-year, $75 million contract.
