"I almost texted him" - Tim Hardaway Sr quips about son's shooting slump on Mavericks days after hyping him as team's best shooter
The Dallas Mavericks recently picked up a pivotal Game 5 win over the OKC Thunder this week to give them a big edge in the Western Conference semifinal series. Despite the team's 104-92 win, which included a 31-point outing for Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr had a rough game. The second-generation hooper shot just 1-3 from downtown and 2-6 from the floor on the night.
In one instance, Hardaway Jr clanked a stepback off the side of the backboard in a moment that has since gone viral. In addition, late in the first quarter a bad miss raised eyebrows as fans wondered what was going on with the career 36.0% three-point shooter.
The performance came just days after Hardaway's father, Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway Sr, dubbed his son one of the team's best shooters. When the highlight reel footage of Hardaway Jr's misses in the Mavericks' Game 5 win was played for Hardaway Sr, he didn't miss a beat.
The Miami Heat legend, arguably best known for his UTEP two-step, joked that he considered texting his son about the poor shot selection. In the clip seen below, Hardaway Sr can be seen laughing as he called the first two shot attempts horrific.
"Yeah, I saw that. ... I almost texted him on this one. I almost texted him on that one. I was like, what's wrong? What happened? He made one in the corner. Yeah, but the first two, they was horrific. I was like, I was about to text him, ... He will get a text from me today."
Looking at Tim Hardaway Jr's performance in the postseason as he and the Dallas Mavericks look to advance to the Conference Finals
As previously mentioned, Tim Hardaway Sr had previously expressed that he believed his son was the best shooter on the Mavericks. When looking at his recent play, however, that doesn't appear to be the case.
During the regular season, Hardaway Jr shot just 35.3% from downtown, a number that marked a slight drop from the 38.5% he averaged from downtown last season. The number notably sits below his 36.0% career average from downtown, with his 40.2% field goal percentage also sitting below his career average of 41.8%.
During the postseason, Hardaway Jr's numbers have also seen a slight drop, as the second-generation hooper has averaged 34.8% from downtown, and 40.0% from the field.
It's also important to mention that Hardaway Jr has been dealing with an ankle injury that sidelined him for several games early on in the postseason. Since returning for the Mavericks' second-round series against the OKC Thunder, he has struggled to find his rhythm.
With that being said, he did play an integral part in the team's 119-110 Game 2 win over the Thunder, where he dropped 17 points on 60% shooting from the field. In that game, he also notably shot 50% from downtown over the 19 minutes he played.
While his struggles have been a focal point of criticism, it's clear that when Hardaway is on, he can light up the floor and be a difference-maker for the Mavs.