Tim Hardaway, Jr. Needs More Playing Time for New York Knicks

By Greg Sulik
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The New York Knicks have gotten their season off to a 2-2 start that has included included some pretty extreme ups and downs. With the season still very young, the Knicks are still trying to figure out how to best use their rotation. Perhaps the biggest question in this area is the playing time of second year guard Tim Hardaway, Jr.

Hardaway has averaged just 11 minutes per game through the Knicks’ first four contests, a stark contrast to the 26.5 averaged by Iman Shumpert and the 24.5 for J.R. Smith. Hardaway averaged 23.1 minutes per game as a rookie, including 26.9 per game after the All-Star break, so this is a dramatic change for him. Adding to the confusion is the fact that Hardaway is generally considered the Knicks’ most promising young player as well as the realities that Shumpert is scheduled to be a restricted free agent after the season and Smith has the option to become an unrestricted free agent.

However, Derek Fisher has chosen to leave the young guard as an afterthought in his rotation. That needs to change in the near future, especially if Smith’s slow start to the season continues. Smith is averaging just 7.5 points per game in this young season while shooting 38.7% from the field and 22.2% from three. Smith’s general disinterest in defense remains, and he has a disastrous 8.82 PER thus far.

Obviously this is an extremely small sample size, but Smith has done nothing either this season or last year to warrant playing more than double the minutes of Hardaway. Hardaway is by no means setting the world on fire while shooting 36.4% from the floor and 27.3% from three in his limited action. However, his performance from last season warrants at least the opportunity to have a bigger role, especially given Smith’s ineffectiveness.

As a rookie, Hardaway didn’t produce the same type of rebounding and assist numbers that Smith has throughout his career, something that has continued this year. However, Hardaway hasn’t really been given the opportunity to prove himself as a distributor, and he is a much more willing defender than Smith, something that could balance out his other shortcomings.

With the Knicks rumored to be shopping Smith and the fact that Hardaway is the only young, potential impact player the Knicks have under contract long term, it makes sense to get him more involved in the rotation. The Knicks can’t forget about developing young talent, especially in favor of an under-performing veteran. Hardaway deserves to get more time on the floor, and an expanded role would benefit the Knicks on both ends of the court.

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