3 reasons why Jaden Hardy will be the Dallas Mavericks' third star

The Dallas Mavericks have tried to have three stars on their team for decades. The closest they have come in the 21st century is the 2011 championship team, which surrounded Dirk Nowitzki with Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry, Caron Butler, and Tyson Chandler.

However, Kidd and Marion (while still very good and extremely vital to winning the title) were past their NBA primes. Butler had a season-ending injury 29 games into the season. Chandler was more of an elite role-playing big man, and Terry was never quite considered a star (although he was arguably the second most valuable player during that run).

3 reasons why Jaden Hardy will be the Dallas Mavericks' third star

In the Luka Doncic era, the Mavs front office has been trying desperately to surround Luka with talent. They traded for Kristaps Porzingis, but injuries seemed to hinder any chance at building chemistry. Jalen Brunson became a star during their Western Conference Finals run in 2022 but left that offseason.

Dallas completed a blockbuster trade for Kyrie Irving at last season's trade deadline, but fans and commentators have been waiting for the Mavericks to find that third piece to form the three-headed monster that so many teams are after. The Mavs made a move for Grant Williams earlier this summer, but they still need a player with star potential.

Enter Jaden Hardy.

No, he isn't the star big man that many people are clamoring for the Mavs to acquire. In fact, he's a 6'4'' guard who plays a position already occupied by two superstars (Doncic and Irving). However, during his rookie season, he showed he could potentially provide that third-scoring punch that Dallas has been lacking.

Reason #1. Scoring

Although his rookie season was a small sample size (he only played in 48 games), it was fantastic both visually and from a statistical perspective.

His per-game numbers don't immediately jump off the page, as he only averaged 8.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. A large part of this was because he only played an average of 14.8 minutes per game.

A deeper dive shows a much more exciting picture coming into focus that should excite Mavs fans.

Albeit a small sample size, Jaden Hardy played 20 minutes or more in 13 games. In those contests, Hardy's per-game averages look like this:

• Points - 19.46

• Rebounds - 3.53

• Assists - 2.61

• Field Goal Percentage - 45.5%

• 3PT percentage - 40.6%

• Free Throw percentage - 81.4%

Given the state of the current Dallas roster, it is assumed that Hardy will be the first guard off the bench on most nights, giving the Mavs a third ball handler and spelling either Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving as the Mavs stagger their two stars rotationally.

When Jalen Brunson played a similar role with the Mavericks, he averaged 25 minutes per game. When Spencer Dinwiddie played that role the year the Mavs made it to the Western Conference Finals, he averaged 28.3 minutes per game.

In that role, Brunson would average 12.6 points per game, while Dinwiddie averaged 15.8 points per game.

So, with the assumption that Hardy would get a similar range of minutes, his scoring during his rookie year already exceeds what those two players provided.

The talent and ability are seemingly there for Jaden Hardy, he just needs playing time. Considering how Jason Kidd appears to like having a third guard be a major part of the offensive game plan, Hardy could be unleashed upon the league in a very loud fashion.

Reason #2. Efficiency

Playing alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving will be the most important factor in all of this. In order to fit with this team, Jaden Hardy will need to be able to hit catch-and-shoot three-point attempts and create his own shot off the bench.

Overall, Hardy shot 40.4 percent from three-point range last season, and 82.5 percent of those were assisted. Pertaining specifically to the catch-and-shoot variety, he shot 41.4 percent on 2.1 attempts per game. That ranked him second among all rookies who played in at least 40 games.

However, being the third scoring punch requires more than just hitting open threes. Having the ability to attack opposing defenses off the dribble is crucial in keeping defenders honest, and Hardy also excelled at that.

Among rookies who played at least 40 games and averaged five or more drives per game, Hardy ranked second with a field goal percentage of 48.5 percent.

For comparison, although on a much larger sample size, superstar Ja Morant shot 48.8 percent on drives to the basket.

Being able to not only make open three-point attempts set up by Doncic and Irving but also being able to attack close-outs and put pressure on the interior of opposing defenses should allow Hardy to flourish as a third scorer. It should also provide a dynamic to the Mavericks' offense that hasn't been seen since Jason Terry was walking the halls of the AAC.

Reason #3. Ability to Improve

The final reason Jaden Hardy might be the third star the Mavs are seeking is his ability to improve.

During his rookie season, Hardy saw his field goal percentage improve in every month except for one.

In February, Hardy shot 47.1 percent from the field. That would fall to 45 percent in March, but would again improve the following month (April) to 46.2 percent.

The same can be said for his three-point shooting, which peaked in March and saw him shoot 50 percent on a monthly season high of 66 attempts. That percentage would fall in April to 29.4 percent, but that came on only 17 attempts from behind the arc.

If you split up his numbers in pre, and post-All-Star break samples, his improvement is evident there as well.

Before the All-Star break, Hardy averaged 6.5 points per game on 42.2 percent shooting and 33.8 percent from three-point range.

After the All-Star break, Hardy averaged 12.8 points per game on 45.3 percent shooting and 45.9 percent from three-point range.

When you watch Jaden Hardy play, it is evident that he has no fear and displays unruffled confidence in his ability to score. This element is paramount to the success of a player that is playing with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving next to them on the court.

Josh Green, another exciting young player on the Mavs roster, appears to lack that component. The inability to keep that swagger has kept him from consistently showing the potential he has. This is why it is so eye-catching to see Hardy exude this trait. More importantly, he did so efficiently during his inaugural season in the NBA.

One last note, because of the fact he is playing next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Hardy should rarely see double teams or opposing defenses scheming to stop him. He also isn't going to be expected to shoulder the pressure that most players with his skill set will feel early on in their careers. The floor and opportunities should be wide open for Hardy to display all of his talents, and stardom might be just around the corner.