A great shooter, but undersized and not profiling as a great defender, Jaden Hardy has a good foundation if he can unlock other aspects of offense. But can he get there?

Position: SG, G League Ignite

Age: 19

Height: 6 ft 4 in

Wingspan: 6 ft 8 in 

Weight: 190 lbs.

The Sales Pitch: When you are a top three shooter in the draft and can do other stuff like break off ankle breakers and pass out of the pick-and-roll, you are working with a very solid offensive foundation. The Ignite gave Jaden Hardy superstar reps, and while his efficiency stats look rough, his shooting numbers are better than any other player to come through the Ignite program. As the season went on and he found his footing, he began to showcase some of the change-of-pace moves and saucy crossovers he was known for as an elite 5-star high school recruit, was more comfortable making a variety of passing reads, and competing on defense. Did I mention he’s an elite shooter who can shoot off movement, off the dribble, off the catch, under duress, at any time? 

Elite Traits/Skills: Shooting

The Devil’s Advocate Argument: Being a phenomenal shooter is a great place to begin, but unfortunately that is not where things end. He’s a meh-sized 2-guard who doesn’t project as a positive defender, and on offense he doesn’t really get to the rim a ton due to his lack of athleticism, size, or strength. It’s hard to make a living as a mediocre defending, non-switchable shooting guard unless you become an absolutely nuclear scoring threat. That is what Hardy was billed as coming out of high school, but unfortunately it is very clearly not the case here — he’s not blowing by anyone or dunking on anyone in the NBA. 

The Misconceptions: He’s inefficient. It’s not wrong  — the kid did shoot under 40% — but without context, that is unhelpful. He was given TONS of primary ball handler reps, took almost nine threes per game, vs. pros as a 19-year-old. His efficiency will almost certainly go up in a more narrow NBA role. Exactly how much it goes up will determine his role in the NBA.  

Important numbers:

• 17/5/3: His points, rebounds, assists on the Ignite

• 38/31/80: His weird slash line on the Ignite

• 48: His total season true shooting percentage

• 22, 52, 8: His PPG, TS%, and threes per game in the final 10 games of the season. He shot better and more efficiently at the end of the year. 

• .17: His free throw rate. Poor for a scorer.

• 50%: What he shot on 40 unguarded catch-and-shoot threes. An elite number.

• 50%: What he shot at the rim. A pretty bad number.

Knicks Fit: He’s talented but the fit is shaky. The Knicks have three shooting guards of varying ages and salaries who are able to get in a shootout with anyone in the NBA in Grimes, Fournier, and Burks, and it’d be really hard to justify Hardy being better than any of them anytime soon. But if you buy the shot creation upside, maybe you pick him and figure out the particulars later.