3 takeaways from Jaden Hardy’s summer league debut with Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks traded out of the 2022 NBA Draft to acquiring Christian Wood. They sent their second-round pick to Washington with Kristaps Porzingis for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans at the deadline. Dallas had no picks, but went they saw Jaden Hardy slip into the second round, they pounced.

The Mavericks sent two future second-round picks to the Sacramento Kings to acquire the 37th overall selection and grabbed Hardy. The 6’4 guard was ESPN’s number two player coming out of high school behind only Chet Holmgren, but he struggled in his lone season with the G League Ignite and that plummeted his draft stock.

Jaden Hardy played his first game in a Mavericks uniform on July 8 as the team opened their Las Vegas Summer League slate against the Chicago Bulls. It was an impressive performance from the rookie, but the Mavs fell 100-99 in overtime. What can supporters take away from Hardy’s first game?

3 takeaways from Jaden Hardy’s first summer league game with Dallas Mavericks

Hardy finished with 28 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 33 minutes of action against the Bulls. He got off to a slow start before showing off his impressive skill set. The 20-year-old went nine of 19 from the field, got to the line 11 times, and had six turnovers.

Numbers never tell the entire story in summer league. The games often lack ball movement and spacing, so things can get wild. Still, Jaden Hardy showcased the skills that made him a top prospect. Here is a look at three things Dallas Mavericks fans can take away from his 28-point performance to open the Las Vegas Summer League.

Takeaway from Jaden Hardy’s 1st summer league game with Dallas Mavericks: 3. Aggressive

Hardy showed zero hesitation in his first game with the Mavs. The 6’4 guard played mostly off the ball, but he attacked the rim hard when it got into his hands. Summer league head coach Greg St. Jean was running him off picks and encouraging him to attack off the catch.

Hardy’s finishing around the rim and ability to draw fouls was impressive on Friday afternoon. The 20-year-old made multiple difficult finishes like the one below.

Hardy was never afraid to push the ball and look for transition opportunities. He made the Bulls pay multiple times before their defense was set. Here he uses a hesitation dribble to blow past his defender in semi-transition for a dunk.

Jaden Hardy stayed aggressive throughout the contest, even when things were not going his way. He kept putting his head down and looking to score inside. The Mavericks' offense took a step forward last year after adding Spencer Dinwiddie, who is best as a secondary creator that can get to the rim. Hardy did just that in his first game in Vegas.

The Dallas Mavericks need him to turn it into control aggression as many of his errors were self-inflicted. He will play well off Luka Doncic as long as he becomes a league-average or better 3-point shooter. Fans know Hardy will be working on his jumper and defense as he prepares for his first NBA training camp.

Takeaway from Jaden Hardy’s 1st summer league game with Dallas Mavericks: 2. Needs polish

Hardy showed flashes of brilliance, but there were plays that reminded fans he is a 20-year-old rookie too. He launched a pass into the stands in the first quarter that would have been uncatchable no matter how tall the player in the corner stood. It was one of six turnovers Hardy committed on Friday afternoon after he averaged 3.4 per game last season with the Ignite.

The 6’4 guard sank two 3-pointers on nine attempts against the Bulls after shooting just 30.9 percent from long range last season. He settled for pull-up jumpers and struggled to hit them. Hardy has the stroke and can sink catch-and-shoot tries, but he needs to limit his off-the-dribble triples at this stage.

He tried taking over in the final minutes, but committed multiple mistakes. Hardy was twice stripped on drives that resulted in turnovers. He missed a step-back three as time expired that would have won Dallas the game after rejecting a screen and failing to attack the rim in the final seconds with the contest tied.

Jaden Hardy needs to polish up his game to be ready for an NBA rotation role. He looked like a 20-year-old rookie in his summer league debut. There were too many turnovers and some poor shot selection. Those were areas of Hardy’s game fans knew he needed to clean up, and they showed again on Friday afternoon.

Takeaway from Jaden Hardy’s 1st summer league game with Dallas Mavericks: 1. Pure scorer

Hardy proved he is a professional scorer. The Mavericks did a fantastic job of running him off screens to allow him to catch the ball going downhill, and his ability to attack the basket did not disappoint. He made some difficult finishes inside and took 11 free throws on Friday afternoon.

Hardy showed off some impressive moves in the mid-range as he sank two difficult step-backs in the fourth quarter. Fans can see one of them below.

The Mavericks rookie showcased his ability to score at all three levels. He averaged 19.5 points per game in the G League as a teenager. It should come as no surprise that Hardy gets buckets. There are no questions about his scoring ability. He must improve his shot selection and playmaking, but the raw tools are there.

Jaden Hardy put on a show in his summer league debut. Christian Wood was in Las Vegas and tweeted this about his new teammate.

It was an impressive performance from Hardy. He scored 28 points in his first game as a Maverick, and he is currently tied for the third-leading scorer in the Las Vegas Summer League.

The 20-year-old is already looking like a steal at the 37th overall pick. He was invited to the green room and was expected to be a first-round pick. The Dallas Mavericks will be looking to bring the best out of Jaden Hardy. He needs time to develop, but it was an impressive first game. Stay tuned to see where Hardy goes from here.