National Basketball Association

Should Coach Bud think about starting Tim Hardaway Jr. over Kyle Korver?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Atlanta Hawks were 3-0 until losing to the Lakers Wednesday night. A big reason the game was close was due to Tim Hardaway Jr.

So far, the Atlanta Hawks have been really successful this season. They’ve beaten every opponent by double-digits up until Wednesday, when they failed to stop the scoring barrage of the Lakers. The funny thing is, the Hawks have hung their hats on the defensive end of the spectrum, especially in the 4th quarter.

One of the reasons for Atlanta’s success has also been the second unit. Tim Hardaway Jr. may be the best player coming off the bench, and his numbers support that statement. Through three games he’s averaged 14.8 points, and has shot 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. These are starter-like numbers. Though the Hawks lost Wednesday night, Hardaway Jr. had 26 points and made five 3-pointers. This is a great sign of things to come.

In the preseason, Hardaway Jr.’s role with the team was a huge question mark. His shooting percentages were horrific, and his confidence seemed to be at an all-time low. Many fans didn’t know if he would make the final roster. Yeah, it was that bad. Luckily for him, the basketball gods granted him a second chance to prove himself by allowing him to make it into the regular season.

Since game 1, Hardaway Jr. has played like someone competing for a starting position on a basketball team or something. I mean that would never happen, Kyle Korver is one of the best 3-point shooters of all-time. There’s no way the Hawks would have a player like that come off the bench.

If you’re one of the people who think this way, you should step back and evaluate some things. Sure, Kyle Korver is a sharpshooter, and that helps creates floor spacing, but besides that, what else does he have up his arsenal? He’s a decent defender, but when Kyle’s not doing Kyle things, he’s a mannequin. Korver is a great 3-point shooter, but he’s not a Steph Curry type of 3-point shooter.

He’s not going to dribble the ball around, shake his defender, and bury a deep 3. Korver hits his shots off screens and fast breaks. The point is, Korver won’t create his own shot, and as long as you keep an eye on him and get around screens, he won’t score. When Kyle doesn’t score, that load is usually put on Paul Millsap’s back.

The Hawks need another shot creator in the starting lineup if they want to become elite. Hardaway Jr. could be that extra scorer the Hawks need in heavy rotation. He is a better athlete and ball-handler than Korver, and this could better serve the Hawks in the long run when the games slow down. Hardaway was never a bad player, but he seemed to lack in confidence. Maybe inserting him in the starting lineup will be enough to sustain his superb play, and make him comfortable with taking shots.

Besides, having a 3-shooter like Korver come off the bench could be problematic for inexperienced second units. Korver could score 12-14 points off the bench playing limited minutes. Hardaway Jr. is a young guard whose due for a breakout year. Korver is 35 years old now, and I can’t imagine he’ll be apart of the starting lineup for too many more seasons. This may be the season we start to see him play more of a bench role the Atlanta Hawks.

All Stats Obtained from ESPN.com and Basketball Reference.