I think Hardy will eventually be the odd man out. There has been some good things and some bad things. I wish he was shooting better. I just think if you factor in Marshall and Grimes are going to get consistent minutes, the remaining minutes are a little sporadic. I think Hardy is best when he is given leeway and he can get into a groove. These remaining minutes are tough to fill. You may get 5 minutes a half or you may get 10 a half. Depending on the matchups, rest, flow of the game. You also may have games where you get 1 shot. Another game you may get 7 shots. You need the ability to morph into a different role depending on the game. This is why I was bummed when Exum was injured. I think he is best in this role. Maybe my memories of him are off and I am not taking the playoff run, but I think he is a really nice glue guy for this role. Push the pace, defend multiple positions, hit an open three and just look for ways to impact the game in short bursts.
I think Hardy eventually falls into the role of being a spark when the offense is not clicking. That is a difficult role to fill as well and I am sure he will not be thrilled in that role. When everyone is healthy though, I think Kidd will lean more towards guys who are better defenders.
I think Hardy eventually falls into the role of being a spark when the offense is not clicking. That is a difficult role to fill as well and I am sure he will not be thrilled in that role. When everyone is healthy though, I think Kidd will lean more towards guys who are better defenders.