4 Mavericks who could get axed from Jason Kidd's playoff rotation

2. Tim Hardaway Jr.

It's hard to say what Dallas Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr.'s role will be in Jason Kidd's rotation once the playoffs begin, but his minutes have definitely rose some since Josh Green's ankle injury.

Hardaway Jr.'s performance has fluctuated often since his concerning slump (subscription required) earlier this year, and he has scored in single digits four times in a row for the first time all season. He is playing 20 or more minutes in almost every game lately, but his scoring isn't where it once was.

This is due to him not getting the same volume of shots that he once did, but this is also due to him not calling his own number as much as usual. We've seen growth from Hardaway Jr.'s passing over the last couple of weeks, but his impact is the highest when he's scoring.

This season for Dallas, Hardaway Jr. is averaging 14.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.5 steals per game while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 36 percent from downtown. Hardaway Jr.'s shooting has always been one of Dallas' X-factors and used to often be directly correlated to whether the Mavs would win or lose. This has changed since the trade deadline, as the Mavs aren't as reliant on 3-point shooting anymore and Hardaway Jr. is someone who could see a much smaller role in the playoffs.

Jason Kidd spoke about how much easier the game becomes for everyone else when Hardaway Jr. is hitting his shots, but Dante Exum and Josh Green may play over him in the playoffs. I don't see Hardaway Jr. being removed from the rotation completely, but I don't see him playing heavy minutes if he's not hitting his shots.