Luka Doncic shared a special vote of confidence in Mavericks rookie Jaden Hardy after he had another 15-point performance in Pelicans win.
The Dallas Mavericks find themselves in the 4th seed spot in the Western Conference after they were almost out of the play-in spots only a while ago. Luka Doncic is the main man on the team, he's been on an incredible tear during his last few games. The team's 7-game winning streak ended at the hands of the Boston Celtics, but they bounced back impressively on Saturday night.
Playing against the New Orleans Pelicans, who are ahead of them in the Western Conference standings, the Mavericks notched an impressive win. Luka Doncic had another 34-point triple-double as his stellar season continued. But the real revelation was rookie Jaden Hardy. Hardy got 15 points against the Celtics as well, but that was in a blowout. Against the Pelicans, he contributed to a winning effort, which has led to him being noticed by a lot of people, including his superstar teammate.
Luka Doncic Said The Pelicans Couldn't Stop Jaden Hardy
Despite playing without Zion Williamson, the Pelicans are still a really good team. They have defenders that can give problems to the best players in the league. Jaden Hardy played like a veteran against their defense though, making 7 out of the 9 shots he took, and the team didn't have much of an answer for him. Luka Doncic noted as much in his press conference after the game, heaping praise on the rookie.
“Amazing. He gave us the pace. He was just attacking all the time. They couldn’t stop him. He’s a great player, and you can see it.”
And Luka isn't the only player that believes in Jaden Hardy's prowess, the youngster himself is feeling good about the place he is in. He said as much after the game, looking quite thrilled during his interview.
“I feel like I’m ready. I feel like I can help the team in a lot of ways. Defensively, I feel like I can help the team too. Me being able to shoot the ball and be on the play-make, and play off of Luka Doncic.”
The Dallas Mavericks waived Kemba Walker despite some flashes of brilliance from the veteran guard. And while that's not great for Kemba, it speaks volumes about their belief in Hardy and how he can potentially contribute immediately. The Mavericks don't have a rich history of picking up great players in the NBA draft, so if Hardy can blossom into a good NBA player, it would be a huge win for the team and their new front office.
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