In 2017, the New York Knicks lived and died by the three-point shot, and come to think of it, that’s a trend that’s been consistent for the last few years. Heaving up three pointers has become the staple of the NBA, and the Knicks have embodied the trend rather seamlessly, despite being very poor at it.
Tim Hardaway Jr. was expected to be the guy to create offense on the court, but injuries and inconsistency has plagued his career leading up to this point. After Tim signed a four-year, $71 million offer sheet, he seemed to become complacent or comfortable with his role. There’s no doubt that he’s a passionate player and will be looking to rebound this year, but there’s no other explanation for such a downward trend.
Hardaway only spent half a season as a regular starter for the Atlanta Hawks. They certainly didn’t seem too keen on re-signing him, given the monetary advance he was asking for. Luckily for him, the overgenerous and often-time idiotic Knicks front-office came to the rescue.
How is Time Hardaway Jr. in the three-point game? Can he help the New York Knicks improve?
Last season, Tim fell to a 31.7% three-point conversion rate, while his career average was 35.2%. That’s a massive drop-off when considering the number it was prior to the 2017 campaign.
Former head coach Jeff Hornacek basically gave Hardaway the green light at any given moment, resulting in a ghastly 28% three-point success rate off the dribble. His offensive abilities, which is what he was signed to provide, were nowhere to be found. If he defense wasn’t enough to force the Knicks to reconsider, his offensive statistics last season likely have them scratching their heads.
How can Hardaway Jr. improve his effectiveness in 2018?
Here’s an idea…don’t shoot as many threes! As we stated before, the NBA has become a glorified three-point shooting contest, and Hardaway is losing by a landslide. His best bet is to take simpler, more efficient shots – none off the dribble and closer to an elbow jumper. He’s also impressively athletic and agile – he can easily take the ball to the hoop.
Moving forward, we can only hope that Hardaway become part of the solution, and not part of the problem.