New York Knicks: What the statistics say about Tim Hardaway Jr.
By Eric Snyder
His impact
The Player Impact Estimate developed by NBA.com is a great way to measure how a player impacts a game and season. Simply put, it measures the percentage of statistical events a player is responsible for in a game. A high PIE means the player impacted the game for his team in a positive way. League leaders in PIE so far this season include Blake Griffin, Anthony Davis and Enes Kanter.
Where does Tim Hardaway Jr. rank in the Player Impact Estimate? Among the 81 guards who have started a game in the NBA this season, Hardaway Jr ranks dead last in PIE. Furthermore, Hardaway averages 30.5 minutes per game. So, through three games there is plenty of data to judge all players, including THJ.
In his defense, the New Yorks Knicks don’t have a solid starting point guard and are implementing a new offensive scheme this season. Still, when the 17th-highest paid shooting guard in the NBA isn’t impacting the game in any positive way, it can’t be ignored.
Three games into the Knicks’ rebuild and the team looks confused, uninterested and lazy. Besides Porzingis and Kanter, players like Hardaway and Courtney Lee need to step up as soon as possible. Basketball is a team game where winning only happens when star players impact the game.
Like it or not, Hardaway is one of the Knicks’ “star” players because of his massive contract. The higher his Player Impact Estimate, the quicker the Knicks dig out of their 0-3 hole. Another statistic important to the shooting guard position is a player’s offensive rating. Does Hardaway’s offensive rating make him look any better?