Every player who has been under Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle knows that has a hands-on approach when it comes to developing his athletes. A former NBA player himself who played for five seasons, Carlisle also dabbles as shooting coach from time to time, helping his players become more efficient with their jump shot. Among those reaping the benefits of playing for Carlisle is Tim Hardaway Jr. , who has become a dependable player in the Mavs' rotation.
After helping Dallas score an impressive 117-98 road win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, Hardaway recently shared that his inspired play so far this year is made possible by Carlisle tweaking his shot a bit. Per Chuck Cooperstein of ESPN:
Hardaway spoke afterward about how Carlisle worked with him individually on his shot to make some small correction that obviously worked. It's an incredible quality that RC has. Very few HCs spend that time leaving it to development coaches. He goes the extra mile
— Chuck Cooperstein (@coopmavs) December 21, 2019
Without star Luka Doncic for the third straight game, Hardaway was once again big for the Mavs against the tough Sixers squad, scoring a team-high 27 points in 32 minutes. He shot 10-for-21 from the field (47.6 percent) and drained 7 of his 11 threes (63.6).
Hardaway has been aiding Kristaps Porzingis to hold the fort until Doncic's return, going 2-1 in their last three games with impressive wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Sixers.
Coming over from the New York Knicks as part of the blockbuster Porzingis deal last season, Hardaway has bumped up his three-point percentage from 32.1 percent to a respectable 37.5 clip this season. He is averaging 13.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.7 minutes in 25 minutes per game.
Hardaway has earned himself a reputation of a gunslinger with no conscience in his first few seasons in the league. The 27-year-old son of Tim Hardaway Sr. looks to have finally learned to pick his spots in Dallas and has become an even deadlier option on the offensive end.
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