Dallas Mavericks: Happy Birthday Tim Hardaway Jr.

Dallas Mavericks wing Tim Hardaway Jr. turned 28 on March 16. Here is a look at his incredible season in Dallas to celebrate his special day.

The Dallas Mavericks will not be playing games for the foreseeable future. The NBA suspended its season on March 11 because of the coronavirus. Everyone is left in limbo as there is no timetable for play to resume. There is optimism that it will be finished at some point, though.

No games being played provides an opportunity to look back at the 67 games the Mavericks completed so far. There have been plenty of surprises and unexpected developments in Dallas this season.

Perhaps the biggest has been Tim Hardaway Jr. He was viewed as a throw-in on the Kristaps Porzingis trade from New York. That has been anything but the case. The Mavs have unlocked the best version of THJ, and he is thriving in Dallas.

Hardaway Jr. celebrated his 28th birthday on March 16. Here is a look at some incredible numbers he has produced so far to celebrate his special day.

Shooting lights out

Tim Hardaway Jr. is shooting 40.7 percent from 3-point range this season. His previous career-high is 36.3 percent as a rookie in 2014. He has not stopped there, though. Since the calendar flipped to 2020, THJ is shooting 42.9 percent on his threes.

Fans can read more about how his partnership with Luka Doncic has unlocked his incredible shooting numbers here.

Needed third scorer and floor spacer

Hardaway Jr. started the season in a reserve role, and it was not working out well. He was struggling to find his footing. Then, Seth Curry came down with an illness and Hardaway Jr. replaced him in the starting five on Nov. 20. THJ has not looked back since that moment.

Over his next 50 games played, Hardaway Jr. is averaging 17.3 points and 3.2 3-pointers made in 30.5 minutes per. That comes on 45.5 percent from the field and 43.0 percent on his threes.

Happy Birthday goes out to Tim Hardaway Jr. His play has been amazing to watch this year. He has a player option for next season. THJ looks likely to decline it. Will he stay in Dallas long-term? That will be one of the major questions of the offseason.

The Smoking Cuban will continue to provide Dallas Mavericks supporters with daily content, so returning to the site regularly should help fill your void in a small way.