New York Knicks: Tim Hardaway Jr. is sorely missed
The New York Knicks thrived early, but the past few games have proven just how badly Jeff Hornacek’s offense misses Tim Hardaway Jr.
Over the course of the first 21 games of the 2017-18 NBA regular season, few players did more to silence their critics than Tim Hardaway Jr. He made undeniable progress towards justifying the $71 million contract that the New York Knicks controversially signed him to this past summer.
Unfortunately, Hardaway has missed the past 12 games with a lower leg injury that he’s still in the process of recovering from.
After losing three of its first four games without Hardaway, the Knicks turned a corner. They went on a four-game winning streak, thus improving to 16-13 overall and effectively earning the reputation of a postseason-caliber team.
New York has since lost three of four, however, with all three games sending the same message: The Knicks miss a healthy Hardaway.
Hardaway is currently averaging 17.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.3 three-point field goals made per game. He leads the Knicks in three-point field goals made per game, and ranks in the top five on the team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals per contest.
That alone establishes how valuable he’s been to New York, as he fills a number of different roles on both ends of the floor.
That much is supported by the fact that New York statistically plays better when he’s present. Thus far in 2017-18, it has net ratings of +2.8 when Hardaway is on the floor and -2.7 when he isn’t—a difference of 5.5 points per 100 possessions.
Furthermore, Hardaway ranks No. 12 amongst small forwards in real plus-minus—and that’s in spite of missing 12 of a possible 33 games
The Knicks have attempted to fill Hardaway’s considerable void by entrusting a heavier offensive workload to Michael Beasley and Courtney Lee. Head coach Jeff Hornacek has done an admirable job of making up for Hardaway’s absence, but neither Beasley nor Lee can truly match his value.
While Lee prospers as a thinking man’s player, Hardaway’s value is based on the way he reads and reacts with the ball in his hands.
Lee can get to any spot on the court, but he often seems to take a moment to process what to do next—a luxury he doesn’t have when on the drive. Since opening the season with four dreadful games, Hardaway has been doing the opposite: Getting to his spots and shooting without hesitation.
During that 17-game window, a looser—yet more refined—Hardaway averaged 19.7 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting from the field.
Advanced metrics may frown upon Hardaway’s occasionally wild approach to offense, but New York benefits from his controlled chaos. It can move the ball, knock down open shots, and find Kristaps Porzingis without him, but what it can’t do is score situationally.
During down-to-wire finishes and road games, someone needs to be able to create in isolation—and no one but Porzingis and Hardaway can consistently do so for the Knicks.
Michael Beasley may beg to differ, but that situation is complicated on its own. Beasley can get buckets at virtual will, but when he isn’t able to work inside and score, he becomes almost obsolete in the sense that he struggles to contribute in other phases of the game.
Hardaway has long been labeled as a shot creator who struggles in other areas, but he’s evolved beyond that reputation.
When Hardaway’s shot isn’t falling, he still commands respect from beyond the arc with his team-best average of 2.3 three-point field goals made per game. The same can’t be said for Beasley, who’s averaging 0.6 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes.
When the defense is forced to close out on Hardaway, he has the ability and willingness to create for others.
For as gifted as he’s becoming in the half court, the area in which the Knicks miss Hardaway most is in transition. Beasley and Lee are no slouches athletically, but Hardaway’s speed, agility, and leaping ability add an element that the offense is currently missing.
When Hardaway is active, the Knicks are able to push the pace and generate more efficient offense in the open court—and when he isn’t, they struggle to.
Other players have stepped up to help fill Hardaway’s void from a pure production perspective, but it’s the situational play that New York is missing most. Not only can Hardaway provide value as a trailing three-point shooter, but his athleticism and length create value at and around the rim.
Until Hardaway returns, the Knicks will continue to have trouble generating offense in the open floor, and will sorely miss the presence of a second isolation shot creator in the fourth quarter.
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