Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Returns to starting five Monday
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Coach Jason Kidd said Hardy will start in Monday's preseason matchup against the Clippers, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
With both Luka Doncic (calf) and Kyrie Irving (rest) out, Hardy will return to the starting five. The 22-year-old is expected to serve as Irving's primary backup at shooting guard, though he will have to compete for playing time with Spencer Dinwiddie and Quentin Grimes.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Not starting vs. Utah
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Hardy is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's preseason game against the Jazz, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
The Mavericks are starting Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving for this preseason contest, so Hardy should see minutes off the bench. However, both starters will be restricted, so Hardy should still see plenty of minutes throughout the contest.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Flirts with double-double
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Hardy totaled 21 points (6-16 FG, 6-10 3Pt, 3-4 FT), three rebounds, nine assists and three steals in 34 minutes during Monday's 121-116 preseason loss to the Grizzlies.
Hardy led all scorers with 21 points and looked sharp from beyond the arc, though it's also worth noting that he logged a game-high 34 minutes, which inflated his final line. He figures to face an uphill battle for regular playing time competing against the likes of Spencer Dinwiddie and Quentin Grimes, but Monday's performance was a strong way to kick off the preseason for the young guard.
Hardy closed with 13 points (4-8 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three rebounds and one assist over 11 minutes during Thursday's 107-89 loss to the Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Hardy scored 11 points in about five minutes of fourth-quarter garbage time. Considering the defensive presences of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, it may be difficult for Hardy to make an impact, though he'll likely continue to see light minutes to spell Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Heats up off bench in Game 4
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Hardy posted 13 points (5-8 FG, 3-4 3Pt) and one rebound across 12 minutes during Tuesday's 105-100 loss to Minnesota in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
Hardy has yet to play more than 12 minutes in any game in the series, and he's yet to log more than 15 minutes in any playoff appearance this season, but he made the most of his time in this Game 4 loss. The lack of minutes he's seen suggests this was a one-off outburst, however, so fantasy managers shouldn't trust him in Game 5 of the series Thursday.
Hardy finished with one point (0-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), one assist and one steal in three minutes during Friday's 101-90 win over the Clippers in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Hardy, along with A.J. Lawson and Dwight Powell, secured a handful of minutes down the stretch Friday. With the game well in hand, the Mavericks were able to give their fringe players a rare opportunity to see playoff basketball. This is not something we should expect to see very often moving forward.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Moves to bench
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Hardy will run with the second unit for Sunday's Game 1 against the Clippers, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Hardy is unlikely to be relevantly utilized in the postseason rotation, with the second-year guard having no playoff experience under his belt. Dallas' backcourt is fully healthy entering their first-round series against the Clippers.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Starting Sunday
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Hardy will start at point guard in Sunday's regular-season finale in Oklahoma City.
With Luka Doncic (ankle) and Kyrie Irving (hamstring) sidelined, Hardy will get the keys to the car for the Mavericks to close out the season. He has averaged 11.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists across 26.8 minutes in six starts this season.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Records season-high 25 points
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Hardy racked up 25 points (9-19 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and one steal across 29 minutes during Friday's 107-89 loss to the Pistons.
With Luka Doncic (ankle) and Kyrie Irving (hamstring) out, Hardy received increased playing time against Detroit. The 21-year-old guard capitalized on this opportunity by posting a season-high 25 points Friday. In the six outings in which Hardy has played at least 25 minutes this season, he is averaging 19.2 points, 4.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Scores eight off bench
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Hardy ended Sunday's 125-107 win over the Rockets with eight points (3-7 FG, 2-5 3Pt), two rebounds and one assist across 16 minutes.
Hardy's role has diminished in recent weeks, but he was able to pick up some garbage time run Sunday. In March, Hardy averaged 4.9 points and 1.1 assists in 7.1 minutes per game.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Barely utilized Tuesday
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Hardy finished with two points (0-2 FG, 2-2 FT) across two minutes during Tuesday's 137-120 loss to the Pacers.
Hardy played two minutes in garbage time, basically the fourth straight game in which he has been out of the primary rotation. While he has been able to flash some upside this season, Hardy is yet to establish himself as a reliable source of production, both in real life and fantasy. As long as the Mavericks' backcourt is relatively healthy, Hardy holds no real fantasy value.
