5 Things Dallas Mavericks fans should root for, 5 to root against to close season

3. Against: Tim Hardaway Jr. getting less minutes

Dallas Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. has been the most polarizing player on the roster this season, but recently he has been playing much better. Hardaway Jr. has been a key piece for the Mavs for his entire tenure in Dallas and now isn't the time for the Mavs to decrease his minutes unless he goes into another big slump.

This season for Dallas, Hardaway Jr. is averaging 15.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.5 steals per game while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from downtown. Regardless of how rough his slump was, Hardaway Jr.'s capabilities as a shooter are too good to overlook.

As stated earlier, now isn't the time for Jason Kidd to make big changes to the rotation, and I don't see Kidd changing Hardaway Jr.'s minutes too much until Josh Green returns from injury. The continuity of the rotation and the momentum that this team has built is massive, and Hardaway Jr. has been a big part of that.

Hardaway Jr. has scored over 20 points multiple times this month, and despite Jaden Hardy's potential, it may not be time to turn him into an everyday player until next season. Hardy had some rough patches in Dallas' game against the Houston Rockets, and Hardaway Jr. entering the playoffs with confidence is important.

This isn't to say that Hardaway Jr. should be a key piece if he starts struggling again, but a confident and effective Hardaway Jr. is deadly.