Atlanta Hawks Player Profile: Tim Hardaway Jr.

For a team that was coming off a 60-win season, a first round draft pick just outside the lottery seems like it should be treated as a major asset. The Atlanta Hawks were on the right end of one of the biggest WTF trades in recent history. They received a 2015 pick swap with the Brooklyn Nets when they traded Joe Johnson.

The eventual outcome of that asset acquisition was not Kelly Oubre Jr., Bobby Portis, Sam Dekker or any other of the rookies Atlanta could have drafted. Instead, they opted to trade away that pick on draft night, moving down a few spots and adding two second round picks. The Hawks then made the 19th pick and traded it to the New York Knicks.

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In the end, the Hawks ended the night with Tim Hardaway Jr., a third-year wing scorer.

Atlanta’s decision was not universally embraced as a positive step. NBA Twitter (which of course is always right) had some Hawks fans cheering the addition and some responding with expletive-laced frustration. Hardaway is something of a polarizing player. While he has shown signs of belonging in the NBA, the numbers and eye test show numerous negatives as well.

First of all, Tim Hardaway Jr. sucks at playing defense. That’s the best word to describe it. He is just awful. His defensive rating of 114 was the worst of any player who stepped on the court for the Knicks last season, per Basketball-Reference.

The Hawks run a defensive system that maximizes the potential defense of team-oriented players. Guys like Kyle Korver and Al Horford, who aren’t athletic stoppers, thrive in a defensive scheme where they can be sure that the players around them will try on their assignments and will move to help when needed.

Problem is, that only works because the players are willing to move and be active. Hardaway has the physical length and strength to be an acceptable defender, but he gives a little effort. He doesn’t move a lot when on-ball, and when he’s off, it often looks like he’s meandering around, not exactly sure where to be or what to do.

Now, this brings up an important argument that somewhat justifies his shortcomings. In terms of player development and education, the Knicks over the last two years are about as bad as it can possibly get. In a system where Hardaway is given structure and better defenders to mentor him and cover for him, he may very well take steps toward improvement.

That’s not a guarantee though. Sometimes guys change and evolve when put in the right situation. Some guys just suck at defense for their career. The trouble for the Hawks is that their perimeter defense is strained by the loss of DeMarre Carroll and the health concerns of Kyle Korver and Thabo Sefolsoha.

If both of them come back healthy and Kent Bazemore still does his thing, slotting Hardaway into the rotation may be awkward. On the flip side, if those players struggle, Hardaway will be leaned upon more than he should.

That is one important detail of observing Hardaway’s career trajectory. His two years in the NBA have been defined by playing for a terrible team that has little talent. Hardaway’s usage rate last season was 23.8 percent, per Basketball-Reference. That usage rate was greater than all but two players on the Hawks, and was fifth on the Knicks last season.

Most young players who are relied on too much too soon tend to struggle and be inefficient. The Hawks will likely have enough talent to maximize his abilities without being too reliant on him. A lack of structure and a lot of offensive pressure will lead to a guy known as a scorer shooting 34 percent from deep.

Hardaway isn’t blameless. He did learn for a year and a half under J..R. Smith, and surprise, surprise, his shot selection is not always great. That being said, he does have scoring talent. He knows how to create separation when he pulls up or steps back and he has the length and jumping ability to shoot over defenders.

Hardaway also has the physical tools to be a good finisher. He shot 60 percent at the rim, according to Basketball-Reference. He’s 6’6″ and quick on his feet, which opens up opportunities for him to score in transition. He’s also an acceptably accurate and willing passer, which should only become more true when he starts playing for a team with talented players to whom Hardaway can defer.

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The Hawks’ love of spacing and motion should make them a more welcoming situation for Hardaway. He’ll have easier lanes to attack the rim. He’ll also be able to reliably get touches by playing off-ball and camping out in the corner. Neither Mike Woodson’s system nor the warped version of the triangle run by Derek Fisher made a point of swinging the ball on the perimeter until they beat the defensive rotation.

Atlanta does that, and if the surrounding personnel, scheme, staff, and culture matter as much to the development of young players as the media and the public are led to believe (which it does), then this is the true test of Hardaway’s career. The Hawks certainly seem like the kind of team that can use him best and truly see what his NBA destiny is.

On the flip side, the Hawks made a wager that their player development structure can help Hardaway find the best version of himself. If that bet pays off, he can be an immediate scoring threat that improves the Hawks’ already powerful offense. If not, the Hawks may later regret passing on a young prospect in a good draft.

It just depends on how much of Hardaway’s drawbacks are who he is, and how many of those are part of the structure and talent he’s been surrounded by in his career.  The Hawks’ decision to pass on a rookie was a win-now move. Time will tell if it was a good one.

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