Daily Knicks
Fansided

New York Knicks: Tim Hardaway Jr. off to hot start in 2018-19 season

By Spencer Dempewolf

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 03: Tim Hardaway Jr. #3 of the New York Knicks in action against the Brooklyn Nets during a preseason game at Barclays Center on October 3, 2018 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 03: Tim Hardaway Jr. #3 of the New York Knicks in action against the Brooklyn Nets during a preseason game at Barclays Center on October 3, 2018 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

In what is perhaps the most crucial year of Tim Hardaway Jr.’s career to date, the shooting guard has proven to be a reliable scorer through three games for the New York Knicks

The New York Knicks lost a tight contest on Saturday night, losing to the Boston Celtics 103-101 and giving the Knicks a 1-2 record on the season.

Tim Hardaway Jr., as he has done in every game this season, led the team in the scoring category. He finished with 24 points on 8-21 shooting.

In the three games so far in the 2018-19 season, Hardaway has scored 31, 29, and 24 points respectively.

With Kristaps Porzingis still sidelined for the foreseeable future with a torn ACL, Hardaway has answered the bill as the No. 1 scoring option for the young team playing without an established star.

The 2017 free-agent signing has taken an aggressive approach offensively to start the year, having taken more shots, more threes, and getting to the free-throw line more often.

His aggressiveness has paid dividends through the first three games as Hardaway has been the go-to man for the Knicks offensively.

It is far too early to label this year as a “career year” for the 26-year-old shooting guard, but his play thus far has certainly been a bright spot for David Fizdale’s squad.

Although his play may not result in a large number of wins this year, Hardaway’s ascension with Porzingis out still plays a vital role in New York’s future.

If the former Michigan Wolverine can take the next step as a player and develop into a 20-22 point per game scorer, the Knicks offense could become potent as it adds a healthy Porzingis and a more developed Kevin Knox.

An alternative route to view Hardaway’s success would be to think of his success in terms of his potential trade value. Continued success by the sixth-year guard could justify another team wanting to take on the 17-plus million dollars he is owed if the front office decides to try to move him to open up even more cap space for future free agents.

A trade like this seems highly unlikely as of right now, but if Hardaway surpasses expectation this year he could be a valuable trade asset in the future.

For now, he prepares for New York’s next game, a trip to Milwaukee to face the Bucks on Monday. He will surely be looked upon once again to be a constant offensive threat in the absence of Kristaps Porzingis. There is an immense amount of season left to be played, and THJ will be expected to be a reliable scorer the entire way.

Next. Takeaways from Narrow Loss to Nets. dark

This season is Hardaway’s moment to develop into the complete scorer that would be a key piece of the Knicks future success.

As of right now, he is seizing that moment.

Home/Knicks News