3 Studs, 2 duds in Mavericks’ clutch road win against Lakers

2. Dud - Jaden Hardy

After having a solid and consistent role this season with the Mavs, things might change for Jaden Hardy after a very poor performance against the Los Angeles Lakers.

In his seven minutes on the floor, Hardy shot an awful 1-5 from the field and only had two points.

After shooting a step-back 3-pointer in the corner early in the fourth quarter, Jason Kidd immediately would sub out Hardy for the remainder of the game.

Hardy thrived on the floor for the Mavs when he accepted being a catch-and-shoot player. Hardy clearly has shown he isn’t ready yet to be a primary ball handler.

With poor play from Hardy, expect to see more minutes from Dante Exum and Seth Curry. If Hardy can’t fix his shot selection, most people won’t be surprised when he’s completely out of the rotation.

Hardy hasn’t made a big enough impact for this Mavs team this season to be considered a key piece to the puzzle, so a chance for his name to be put on the trade block could happen sooner than later.

With players like Doncic and Irving in their prime, the Mavs want to win right now. There’s not much time to develop players like Hardy.