Tim Hardaway didn’t choose to join the Hawks. He arrived in Atlanta via a 2015 draft trade which sent the No. 19 overall pick to New York in exchange for the shooting guard. Hardaway Jr. admits that his tenure with the team didn’t get off to the best start, but he’s worked hard and it appears he found a home.
“I love it here,” Hardaway Jr. said (via KL Chouinard of NBA.com). “Atlanta brought me here, and it really felt like I was starting as a rookie all over again when I was here. With that being said, they made me go through some tough times and it made me mature a lot more as a person – on and off the court. It made me appreciate the game of basketball a whole lot more than I did when I first came into the league. That’s what I’m thankful for.”
[RELATED: Five Key Offseason Questions: Atlanta Hawks]
Hardaway Jr. credits Atlanta’s training staff for his improvement this past season. They assisted him with his lifting regiment and with getting his body fat down to an astounding percentage. “It’s clearly under 6,” he said. “We measure it every other week, so I’m definitely below 6.”
The Hawks needed a playmaker to step up after trading away Kyle Korver and Hardaway Jr. was able to answer the call. He averaged a career-highs in points (14.5), assists (2.3), and three-pointers made (1.9) per game this season.
The former No.24 overall pick made approximately $2.28MM this past season and he’s likely to see a substantial raise on that figure with a new deal this offseason. He’ll be a restricted free agent come July.
5.3 3PA
Good catch! We didn’t mean to suggest Tim Hardaway was MVP-level Steph Curry.