The New York Knicks selected Tim Hardaway Jr. in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft, 24th overall. What are the Knicks getting with Hardaway Jr.? A player that seems to fit their system perfectly.
In some ways, he resembles Iman Shumpert; quick to the basket, great finisher, will provide some flash and dash right before finishing at the hoop. However, if there's a way to differentiate the two, it's by noting how much better Hardaway Jr. is from the perimeter and of course, Hardaway Jr. doesn't have a flat top. Don't take my word for it, just look at the highlights.
In the beginning, Hardaway Jr. is finishing at the basket with easy layups and some penetration. However, as the clip rolls along, the video shows how great his jumper his. He is a perimeter player who can spot up from anywhere on the floor and knock down a shot. Hardaway Jr. can patiently step back and hit a three with confidence.
This makes him the perfect candidate for a role in the Knicks. He worked on his three-point shot from his first year with the Michigan Wolverines. In 2011-2012, Hardaway Jr. was shooting .283 from beyond the arc. He put in labor and pushed his three-point shooting percentage all the way to .374. That's almost a 10 percent improvement within a year.
Of course, adapting to the NBA will be a challenge, but Hardaway Jr. will be joining a Knick squad with plenty of perimeter shooters, who can help him develop into a better player. As the Knicks have done in the past couple of years, they lived and died by the three-point shot in 2013. They were tied with the Houston Rockets with 28.9 attempts averaged per game. As a result, nobody in the NBA made more threes than New York as they averaged 10.9 makes per game.
Hardaway Jr. is versatile since he can also create shots for himself off the dribble. You can compare him to a mini Ray Allen in that sense. He will not be a Steve Novak, who is better moving without the ball and finding the gaps on the perimeter.
Hardaway Jr., who is 21 years old, averaged 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and and 2.4 assists for the Wolverines this past season. He is the son of former NBA point guard, Tim Hardaway who played with five different NBA teams in his 13-year career. Hardaway Sr. was mostly recognized for his career with the Miami Heat and for his Air Bakin' sneakers.
