Year 2 of the Tim Hardaway Jr. experiment is off to a dazzling start for the New York Knicks.
General manager Scott Perry and team president Steve Mills had plenty of questions to answer last summer when they inked Hardaway to a four-year, $71 million contract, providing a return to Madison Square Garden after being drafted 24th overall in 2013 by the Knicks and being traded to the Atlanta Hawks two years later.
While he showed some improvements during his two-year stay in Atlanta, a deal of that magnitude was a head-scratcher considering his career high in points per game was just 14.5 entering last season.
The 26-year-old showed flashes of being a consistent offensive contributor last season, upping his career high to 17.5 points per game last year. However, there were questions about his ability to become a centerpiece of the Knicks offense fell into question due to some questionable decision-making skills.
The 2018-19 season could be viewed as his last chance to prove to the Knicks that he can lead an offense considering the organization is poised to bring in two major stars in free agency next summer.
With star big man Kristaps Porzingis continuing his recovery from a torn ACL in February while rookie stud Kevin Knox nurses an injured ankle, Hardaway has proven his worth and then some over the first seven games of the season.
In their 115-96 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, Hardaway dropped 25 points with eight assists and five rebounds, helping the Knicks snap a five-game losing streak. It was already the sixth time this year that he’s put up 24 points or more in a game as he’s averaging 24.4 points per night.
His three-point shooting has seen a noticeable increase, which could be a big reason as to why he’s been able to put up such big numbers. After making just 31.7-percent of his three’s last year, Hardaway is shooting at a 37.1-percent clip from behind the arc so far.
The improvement hasn’t gone unnoticed by first-year head coach David Fizdale, who has helped bring back a vibrato back to the bench at Madison Square Garden.
“I’m proud of him,” he said on Monday night (h/t the New York Daily News). “He knows that this year is going to be an up and down year for us, a growing year. But his growth and what he’s trying to take to heart is, ‘how do I become a star?’ ‘How do I become a go-to guy?’ ‘What’s the next step?’ ‘What is the responsibility for that?'”
At 2-5, the Knicks are already sinking toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference, a place they are expected to inhabit for the majority of this season. Though there is a light at the end of the tunnel in free agency, the continued emergence of Hardaway can only help with the Knicks’ rebuilding process this year.
The Knicks are back in action on Wednesday night (8 p.m. ET) as they host the Indiana Pacers.
