Shooting Under Shaquille O’Neal’s Keen Eyes, 6ft 5 Mavericks Star Faces Fans’ Backlash Before Game 2

TNT’s road trip to Minnesota gave Shaquille O’Neal a chance to watch his favorite player practice at the Target Center. After the Dallas unit’s impressive win in game 1, Shaq decided to take a seat back on the sideline to watch a few Mavs stars warm up ahead of game 2, where he decided to keep an eye on Tim Hardaway Jr. The 6’5 Mavericks star was sharp from the three-point line in front of the Los Angeles Lakers legend. However, his performance this season has blinded the fans from appreciating his show in front of Shaq. 

The bench of the Dallas Mavericks is quite phenomenal. Hardaway Jr. is the leader of the second unit of the Mavericks, as he is the sixth man for the team. Anyhow, his performance in the playoffs so far has not been up to the mark. But in front of Shaquille O’Neal, the 32-year-old couldn’t miss a shot today. After a tough airball from the half court, Hardaway hit six straight threes during warm-up. 

That’s quite impressive, isn’t it? Anyhow, fans kept receipts of his concerning performance. It has even come to a point where the Mavs fans are ready to see Hardaway Jr. in a different jersey. Let’s take a deeper look into this. 

“Streaky Shooter” Tim Hardaway Jr. did not get the fans’ approval ahead of game 2

Hardaway Jr. averaged 14.4 points with 35% shooting from the three-point line in the regular season this year. After Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington were added to the team before the trade deadline, Hardaway’s role was reduced. Ever since he has failed to garner attention. In the playoffs, it got worse. 

A fan commented, “Man we need to trade this guy in the offseason, tired of his shenanigans…“, despite Hardaway Jr.’s impressive shooting in front of Shaq. The 32-year-old guard is averaging just 5.1 points in this postseason, that too with a poor three-point shooting percentage of 33.33. 

Another fan commented, “THJ has always been a streaky shooter“, taking a jab at his performance over the years with the Mavericks. In his six seasons with the Dallas unit, THJ has not shot more than 40% once from the three-point line. 

“At this moment, give his minutes to Hardy, I can’t trust this man’s defense or offense in the playoffs. He’s too far gone”, said another netizen. Hardaway Jr. had one of the worst performances in game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the 10 minutes he played, he was not able to secure even one point, which is why Jaden Hardy has been getting more time off the court.

“Honestly if Tim could catch fire in this series, that would be awesome. But something has him definitely with low confidence in himself.”, said a fan, still rooting for the 32-year-old. When it comes to shooters, it’s just a matter of one game to get the rhythm going. 

A fan shared, “If THJ can get into a groove & win us just one game, all will be forgiven“. Well, fans are ready to give Hardaway Jr. another chance. Let’s see if things get going for the Mavericks star, whose 4-year contract expires next summer.