Dante Exum's unfortunate injury creates perfect chance for Mavericks youngster

The injury bug has paid a visit to the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the preseason officially beginning on Monday.

The injuries started with Luka Doncic suffering a calf contusion before training camp started, and it was followed by Dante Exum injuring his wrist while in Las Vegas for training camp. While Doncic's injury isn't expected to be serious, Exum's injury could prove to be costly for the Mavs.

Exum's injury could end up requiring surgery to fix it, and this injury follows his finger injury that he sustained ahead of the Olympics. He can seemingly never catch a break with the injuries, and his wrist injury creates the perfect chance for one of the youngsters off the bench to prove themselves to Jason Kidd.

With Exum sidelined, Hardy's time to shine is now

At Media Day, Kidd talked about how Jaden Hardy has been "patiently waiting" to get his chance to make a consistent impact for the Mavs, and Kidd promised that he would "get his opportunity. Hardy was in and out of the rotation last season, and Exum's injury immediately moves him up the depth chart.

Last season for Dallas, Hardy averaged 7.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from downtown. Although Hardy had some flashes of greatness, he wasn't good enough to stick in Kidd's rotation.

Hardy's 3-point shooting, specifically from the corners, took a huge dip compared to his rookie year, and that is a recipe for disaster when playing next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Although Hardy has much more to his game than 3-point shooting off the catch, him not being able to knock down these open shots hurt his chances of being a consistent rotation player.

Hardy re-emerged in Dallas' rotation in the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals, and now he'll need to keep that positive momentum rolling into this season. Without Exum in the rotation to start the year, it'll be up to Hardy and Spencer Dinwiddie to handle the ball in that second unit.

Hardy is more than capable of playing real minutes, and this is his time to shine. If he shows growth as a true point guard and can make the right reads and take care of the ball, Hardy will be in a great spot. He sometimes falls victim to trying to do too much or being a step too late with his reads, but this is yet another area in which he showed growth in the playoffs.

Hardy was making excellent reads out of the pick and roll and throwing lob passes, and this helped him stick in Kidd's rotation. He was on the same page as Daniel Gafford, and his 3-point percentage rose to over 40 percent. His energy off the bench throughout the playoffs was priceless, and he brought a spark that got everyone going.

The time is now for Hardy, and if he can perform well during Exum's hiatus, he could end up remaining ahead of him in the depth chart even once he returns. This year will be crucial in Hardy's development as he is entering a contract year, and although Exum's injury is unfortunate, it gives Hardy a golden opportunity to prove that he has what it takes to be a regular contributor for the Mavs.