The Hawks drafted Kelly Oubre with the 13th pick of the 2015 NBA Draft and Hawks fans were ecstatic. For the first time since Al Horford, it seemed like the Hawks finally drafted the best player available. For a while, the front office had become known for testing their chances and drafting players that would either explode or be a bust (Sheldon Williams, Josh Childress, Marvin Williams, and Dennis Schroder just to name a few) rather than take the safe choice. Oubre was just what we needed: an athletic wing with plenty of upside. Then moments later, Adam Silver said the words that Hawks fans dreaded as soon as Oubre was drafted; the Hawks traded Oubre to Washington. Washington would then draft Jerian Grant out of Notre Dame and send him to New York. In return, the Knicks would send Tim Hardaway Jr. to Atlanta.
Once the three-team deal finished up, most Hawks fans did not know how to react. We had all heard of him before the trade and knew that Hardaway Jr, was a solid ball player. Was he worth giving away rights to Kelly Oubre, though?
Now, with one season in the books, the answer could go either way. Oubre finished slightly sub-par, but not enough to be concerned. Hardaway did not live up to the initial expectations that everyone had hoped for. Any casual fan can look at Hardaway’s numbers and call him a let-down. However, statistics and logic prove that it was not his fault that he didn’t produce and that he is on pace to have a breakout season.
The Stats
Hardaway averaged 24 minutes per game (mpg) in the season before Atlanta snagged him. With Atlanta, he averaged around 17 mpg. Ok, so that’s a drop, but it isn’t anything huge, right? The real truth lies deep inside the numbers. Out of 864 total minutes played last season, 592 came after mid-January. Why did he not play that much during the first half? No one other than the coaching staff really knows for sure. Some say that he needed time to develop. However, his stats prove no holes and he has been praised for his improvement on the defensive end well before he arrived in Atlanta. Per 36 minutes, he put up near 14ppg with above-average shooting numbers.
Logic: Why Didn’t He Play?
Hardaway stayed healthy throughout the season. Honestly, the best reason to explain his absence is simply the fact that Coach Budenholzer understands the situation that he is in. Keeping Hardaway on the roster is extremely cheap and there is no need to rush things. The Hawks can choose to keep him until 2019. This season, Kyle Korver played 30 mpg in an effort to see if he could return to being the player he was before surgeries. “If he wasn’t better and if we didn’t feel like he was committed to that end of the court the way he is right now. What he is doing on that end of the court – his activity and ability to get through screens and shift and rebound – I’m very pleased with his progress.” -Budenholzer Also, it was Kent Bazemore‘s contract year and Budenholzer respected that, as any coach would. Thabo Sefolosha’s first healthy season in Atlanta saw the “Swiss Army Knife” get the majority of the wing minutes off of the bench. Sending Hardaway to the D-league for a portion of the season was to keep him warm (for the most part, as he still needs adjustments in defense). It is safe to say that Hardaway got less action simply because there was bigger things to attend to.
What is Next for Hardaway?
As stated earlier, Hardaway is locked up for quite some time. With Korver’s best days behind him and Bazemore’s likely a free agent departure, don’t be surprised if Hardaway is a starter as early as next season. His price makes him a luxury and he is only 24. As he increases his game at both ends of the floor, expect him to make some noise. He will be lethal. Hardaway is still improving and will be a problem for other teams in the VERY near future.