Dallas Mavericks: Ranking all 5 starters for the 2021-22 season

Dallas Mavericks starters ranked: 3. SG Tim Hardaway Jr.

It took a few tries, but Tim Hardaway Jr. has finally found a home where he seems to be a welcome part of things, rather than a polarizing force. He has developed into one of the best shooters in the NBA.

During his second season in Dallas, Hardaway came off the bench for a majority of his games, more than he did the previous season. Nevertheless, he saw an uptick in scoring, leaping to 16.6 points per game while hitting 39.1 percent of his threes.

Hardaway also continued to be a strong shooter from the free-throw line (81.6 percent) and improved from two. He hit 52.4 percent of his 2-point field goal attempts, his most in four seasons.

The shooting guard still has some noticeable warts to his game that prevent him from being a true star. Outside of scoring, Hardaway’s box score contributions are negligible. He has never averaged more than 4.0 rebounds or 3.0 assists per game and has only averaged a steal per game once in his career.

Luckily, Hardaway doesn’t have a turnover issue. He doesn’t turn the ball over frequently as a counting stat and his turnover percentage annually ranks near the top of the league. His 6.1 turnover percentage ranked in the top five in the NBA for the second straight year.

This will somehow be Hardaway’s ninth season in the NBA. He signed a four-year extension in Dallas this summer and looks poised to be one of the team’s top scorers for years to come. He had a shot at Sixth Man of the Year last season but appears ready to start more often for the Mavs this season.