2021-2022 MAVS NEWS: 4th in West | WCF loss [ARCHIVED]

[KillerLeft]

If Hardaway is going to come off the bench he needs to settle into a role. Stop trying to fit it. Stop forcing things. Get out of your head. Just play the game and be that 28-30 min tough-as-nails 16 ppg scorer we've seen before.

I agree with your POV, overall. 

I've said this I don't know how many times, but I just don't think Hardaway is a bench player type. There is a tendency to look at these guys and arrange them according to some type of made up "overall rating" and make sure the top 5 overall scores are the starters, and while I can understand the desire to make sense of the roster, I just don't think it works that way. 

Hardaway doesn't strike me as a 6th man, like at all. He's not an offensive creator, which is what every historically great 6th man brings to the table. Brunson? Sure, he'd be great in that role, if he's happy with it. A dream fit, actually. Obviously, he's up and coming and that might not be an option available to the Mavs at this point. It might be "start him or trade him" time. 

But for Hardaway, I think he's a starter, and much more worth his contract in a high-minute, offensively featured role (one that's focused on creating shot opportunities for him like last season's Mavs offense). If they've determined (and I'm not sure they have - I think they're experimenting) that he's not going to be that here, then I think it's really important he's moved ASAP. I'm one of Hardaway's biggest fans, but I'm not excited in the least to watch him come off of the bench. I don't think he'll ever be successful in that role.