3 studs, 2 duds from Mavericks Summer League opener vs. Thunder

1. Stud - Jaden Hardy

Heading into Summer League, most Dallas Mavericks fans had their eyes on one guy - Jaden Hardy. Obviously, fans wanted to take a look at rookies Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, but this was set to be Hardy’s time to shine.

And in Dallas’ first game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Hardy showed out. He may not have been the most efficient player on the court, but he absolutely put on a show.

Hardy finished the afternoon with a game-high 24 points to go along with six rebounds, one assists, two steals, and three turnovers. He shot 8-of-18 from the floor and 4-of-12 from behind the three-point arc.

As noted, the efficiency could have been better, but heading into Summer League, head coach Jared Dudley said that Hardy would get roughly 20 shots per game, and the point guard nearly reached that mark.

Next season, Hardy is slated to take on a larger rotational role off the bench behind Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. He could end up being their primary guard off the bench alongside Seth Curry.

He has the potential to be an electric scorer off the bench for the Mavericks, and in his first game against the Thunder, he looked the part.