Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Speculation is growing that Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s stock in the NBA Draft has risen to the extent he could become a first-round draft pick.
In fact, Hardaway would be perfect for the Los Angeles Clippers, who draft late in the first round at 25. He brings the Hollywood type of atmosphere with him to L.A. simply with his name, but he also brings impressive credentials on the court with his talents as a 6-foot-6 shooting guard. He averaged 34.8 minutes, plus 14. 5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
The Clippers would like to think that Hardaway could fit into their offense and defense right away. He would also seem to be a Doc Rivers type of player.
The scouting report on Hardaway is that he can be a good defender when he wants to be. Rivers will take care of that. He’ll made sure Hardaway wants to play defense every second that he’s on the court. If he does that, he’ll be a fine NBA player.
In fact, had Rivers not taken the Clippers job, Hardaway probably would not be a good fit. But he’s got enough talent for Rivers and the Clippers to think he may be worth having on the roster. He’s good at getting his shot off the dribble, sees the floor well and passes well, and can shoot or get to the basket effectively.
Hardaway as a Los Angeles Clippers player makes plenty of sense. Hopefully it will happen. The combination of Rivers and Hardaway is one that should work very well for the Clippers.
