Like many players, Jaden Hardy takes advantage of the offseason to get involved in the Dallas community. This is the third edition of his basketball camp for local youth, a moment appreciated by the campers and the player, always ready to share his experience, as he learned from his elders when he was younger.
It is also an opportunity for him to look back on the Mavericks' eventful summer, who have not been idle since their defeat in the NBA Finals. Alongside Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes, it was the arrival of Klay Thompson who lit up the offseason for Dallas. Enough to approach next season with just as much ambition.
“I feel like we made some really good catches with Klay, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes. That gives us more versatility and quality on the outside shot. That's going to help our team overall and in big moments. I think we have a team with a lot of depth.”, he declared.
With such reinforcements to support Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the outside positions, Jaden Hardy does not see his team aiming for anything other than a new place in the final, provided they use the same ingredients that made Jason Kidd's group strong last season.
An additional double experience
“That's our goal, to get back to where we were. We want to get back to the final and, ultimately, win the title.”he added. “It all starts very early, even before the start of the season with the mini-training camps, being together, building this cohesion, this spirit of camaraderie, and having confidence in everyone. We'll have to believe in it and hang in there. But I think we have a great group, able to do it again.”
The Mavs will no longer benefit from the surprise effect created during the last playoffs, after successively eliminating the Clippers, Oklahoma City and Minnesota. They will however be able to count on the experience of Klay Thompson as a four-time NBA champion, but also the experience of a first final lived together.
“I can only say one thing about it, we all stuck together.”he confided about the epic 2024 playoffs. “We didn't let the rumors or what was being said affect us. We just stuck together, believing in each other, and I think that's what helped us in those situations, when we were down in a series, or when we were in a tough game and we got to money time. We just kept believing in each other, and I think we did a great job of that.”
| Jaden Hardy | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | DAL | 48 | 15 | 43.8 | 40.4 | 82.3 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 8.8 |
| 2023-24 | DAL | 73 | 14 | 40.7 | 36.2 | 77.6 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 7.3 |
| Total | 121 | 14 | 42.0 | 37.9 | 80.0 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 7.9 | |
How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.
