3 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' 119-101 loss to the Timberwolves

4. Dud - Tim Hardaway Jr.

Tim Hardaway Jr. has been excelling in his sixth-man role so far this season for Dallas, but Hardaway Jr. had a rare off-night versus Minnesota last night. Hardaway Jr. shot just 4-15 from the field, and the Mavericks definitely could have used his shooting in a game like last night.

Hardaway Jr. didn't have the best game on the defensive side of the ball either, even if it wasn't entirely his fault. Hardaway Jr. was forced onto much bigger offensive threats throughout the game, as the Mavs' lack of positional size was on full display.

On top of Hardaway Jr.'s shot looking flatter, he wasn't squaring up toward the basket on a lot of his attempts and his shot diet was more reminiscent of what it looked like a few years ago compared to its improved state in the current day. The Timberwolves did an excellent job at screen navigation as their point-of-attack defenders made a point of emphasis to try and run Hardaway Jr. off of the three-point line.

Hardaway Jr. had been playing very well before this game for a fairly long stretch. He was coming off a season-best performance against the Los Angeles Lakers, where he scored 32 points in one of the more diverse offensive games he's played since being in Dallas. Mavericks fans shouldn't have anything to worry about regarding Hardaway Jr. re-gaining his productivity, as this is only one of the few instances where he's. shot poorly all year.