Knicks sign Hardaway

[br7knicks]

wait...do the knicks get a few first round picks after this signing?

[TrueWarrior]

Only thing I like is that we drafted him, and I like to see our draft picks stay here. We just let Atlanta develop him for us, ha.

Welcome back Timmy. I guess.

Btw, you all know what you signed up for when you became Knick fans. This is the NYK life baby!!!

[Jeff Van Gully]

y'all got me stepping down from the ledge. i'm seeing the opportunity cost of watching tim become a star elsewhere, then signing him when he's 29 to a max.

rather have him come into his prime.

this is a crabbe signing tho. only time will tell if it's worth it. but it's true that star players cost a lot more than this. i'm just wondering who we were bidding against for the price tag to be so high. do other teams feel strongly about him? and which of these teams had cap space?

[Jeff Van Gully]

wait...do the knicks get a few first round picks after this signing?

sale prices on lee, melo, and maybe KO must be about to go down.

[Amsterdam]

Hawks' Tim Hardaway Jr. reaps benefits of offseason work
Lang Whitaker
Lang Whitaker NBA.com

Atlanta's Tim Hardaway Jr. is having a career-best season so far.

It's a brilliant Saturday afternoon in Manhattan, the kind of day that makes you appreciate the fall. The air is cool, the sun is shining, and there's even a street festival out on Sixth Avenue.

As the clock ticks past noon, the Atlanta Hawks are wrapping up practice on a court at the offices of the National Basketball Player's Association. The rest of the day is theirs, and NYC awaits.

And while Hawks forward Tim Hardaway Jr. has said he's finished with his shooting drills and is willing to sit and chat, he can't stop shooting. Truth be told, he's actually engaged in something of a vicious cycle: Hardaway keeps sinking 3-pointers from the wing. Because he keeps making shots, he keeps shooting. Because he isn't missing, he doesn't want to stop shooting.

It's a good problem for the 6-foot-6 swingman to have, and the rest of the world can wait for a moment and let Hardaway enjoy the way things are going thus far this season.

In his fourth NBA campaign, the 24-year-old Hardaway is having a career year, averaging 12.3 points in 21.5 minutes to emerge as an integral part of the Hawks' rotation. He's making nearly half of the shots he attempts (in games, at least), shooting 49.6 percent from the field, and playing the best defense of his career.

"A lot of things have just come together in a good way," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer summed up.

The Tim Hardaway Jr. we've seen this season is the type of player the Hawks hoped he would develop into when they gave up a first-round pick to acquire Hardaway from the Knicks during the 2015 NBA Draft. While Hardaway had played plenty in his first two seasons with New York, averaging 10.8 points in 151 games, the Hawks wanted Hardaway to channel his energy in a different direction.

"Having that defensive mindset—going in there and playing hard each and every possession, not giving up play—it really helps me a lot."

TIM HARDAWAY JR.

Upon arriving in Atlanta, Hardaway immediately received something of an awakening. As Hardaway recalled, "My first meeting with (Budenholzer), he said, 'You have to be in shape to play defense, Tim, if you want to be an elite player.'"

To that end, Budenholzer told Hardaway the Hawks wanted to send him down to the D-League to have a chance to work on his defensive effort.

"At the end of the day if you want to be on the court with a good team and play at a high level," Budenholzer said, "commitment to defense is just mandatory."

After spending two seasons in the NBA, being told he needed to go to the D-League made Hardaway, the son of the five-time All-Star point guard, re-examine the arc of his career.

"It was tough," Hardaway said. "It made me feel like a rookie again. It made me realize the position I’m in, and made me realize, 'Hey you gotta work. Nothing is given to you, everything is earned.' It hurt a lot when he told me I wasn’t playing for the first 20-something games. But it fueled me to become a better person, to become more mature and a better player."

Budenholzer said the Hawks were heartened by Hardaway's response.

"There’s no hesitation as far as how much we believe in the D-League, and how much we believe you gotta get those game reps and game opportunities," he said. "But a player that’s had some success, he has his pride. It would be great if we could change the stigma of it, but it is what it is. He took it well, and he went down there and busted his ass. I think we’ve had a good honest dialogue with each other and the assistants. He knows what we want, and he’s like, 'This is what it takes. OK, I’ll do it.'"


A five-game stint in the D-League helped motivate Tim Hardaway Jr.
By the end of last season, with the Hawks fighting for a spot among the Eastern Conference elite, Hardaway had cracked the Hawks' rotation, providing wing depth as the Hawks advanced to the second round of the playoffs. But it was this summer that Hardaway's game really took flight. Taking Budenholzer's fitness challenge to heart, Hardaway stayed in Atlanta over the summer and, working with the Hawks' training staff, dedicated himself to getting into the best shape of his life.

"I started going to sleep earlier, around 9 p.m.," Hardaway said. "Waking up early, getting a good night’s rest, staying on top of food and eating healthy now instead of waiting until you’re 27, 28 and realizing you have to eat healthier. When you’re young you get away with a lot of stuff. I cut out, like, fried foods, steak. Mainly I eat a lot of seafood, a lot more veggies, a more strict diet. And just always drinking water -- no lemonade, cranberry juice, orange juice, I had to cut all that out. The majority is just water, all day every day."

Hardaway found a workout partner in Hawks reserve big man Mike Muscala, another three-year veteran looking to take his career to another level. (Perhaps not so coincidentally, Muscala has also seen his stats jump this season.)

"(Muscala) and myself was in the gym every single day," Hardaway said. "We would try and see who could get to the gym first. He would beat me to the track one day, I’d beat him another day. We’d run track at 7:30 a.m., get into the gym at 9:00, then work out there for like 2, 3 hours. It was just a complete grind. I was happy that I had someone to do it with because it wasn’t easy at all."

As part of what Budenholzer calls "an amazing summer of work," Hardaway continued to refine his game.

"I'm really letting the game come to me," Hardaway said. "Defense, definitely, being a key factor in my development. Getting stops on the defensive end helps me get going on offense, whether it’s getting fastbreak layups or rebounds or pushing it in pick-and-roll situations. Having that defensive mindset — going in there and playing hard each and every possession, not giving up play — it really helps me a lot."

Throughout his first few seasons, Hardaway always had the ability to create for himself on offense. While the Hawks generally generate scoring openings via off-ball cuts and player movement, Hardaway's now-sparing use of his one-on-one ability makes it more dangerous when unleashed.

"I pick and choose my spots wisely," he said. "I’m not trying to be too aggressive, because I know everybody on this team can score 20 on any given night. At the end of the day I think our team is among the NBA leaders in assists, and that shows we are moving the ball and we are getting great looks."

With the Hawks off to a 9-4 start and Hardaway a major key to their success, it's clear that the 2015 Draft night deal with the Knicks has worked out to Atlanta's continuing advantage.

"Tim's got a great package of athleticism and skill and shooting ability," said Budenholzer. "I think now he’s more comfortable and understands what we’re doing better. He’s a hell of a player."

[MP4LIFE]

Absolutely. And then if it doesn't go well, I can live with it.

More enjoyable for me to look for the positives and trying to see through the Knicks' lens rather than being miserable and cynical all the damn time, expecting the worst outcomes.

Also, Mase had it right as to the intent of my post.

I have studied game logs, watched highlights from this year, saw the work he clearly put in the gym, and considered past news reports, his personality traits, behavior, and how he has responded to adversity.

My predictions on THjr are based on my own personal gathering and assessment of data and opinions.

If you cannot respect where I am coming from as a fan, then I kindly ask you to leave me be.

I can't respect where you're coming from because you're the same guy who berated people for trashing Isiah Thomas, then simply acted like you never did that and moved on.

"Miserable and cynical all the damn time!" - The Knicks are a miserable franchise for the last 17 years. Truly downright one of the worst teams in sports and you're sitting here berating the fans yet again about being upset with yet another terrible move. There's positivity and then there is an arrogance that you carry with you, as if you are better than everyone else for blindly supporting awful moves for years just because you're a fan. There's being positive and there's being blind and dumb. I would realize the difference and then move forward with your life from there.

Nevermind, just figured out you are Mr. Perfect. No wonder.

Great post. Predictable, short, nothing of substance, made with no actual response to the post since you're afraid of the truth. Great stuff.

[Amsterdam]

If we somehow pull of a Marcus smart trade how do you guys feel about a


Smart, Frank,Baker,Dotson, Hardaway backcourt ?
Assuming Lee is out


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

We don't need Smart anymore. You start talking Crowder, then and only THEN, do we talk. We don't do favors. Smart is not a well rounded player and is a starter over Hardaway or Frank. Dotson is a lights out shooter and Baker is our project.

So no....

[br7knicks]

wait...do the knicks get a few first round picks after this signing?

sale prices on lee, melo, and maybe KO must be about to go down.

if knicks aren't getting a first round pick with this signing, i don't see why it was made

[MP4LIFE]

This is an average starter contract now. People have to deal with it. Time to move with the times.
The only thing to doubt is if he's ready for that starting SG role.

Courtney Lee deal was a super bargain last season & that was because he took less to play with Rose/Noah/Melo, thought it was a win now team & he's is over 30 & valued the extra year more than $$ per season.

Look at Crabbe ($19M per), Bazemore ($16.9M this season) & I bet KCP get more than this. Timmy is better than those players if we basing everything on the now, not 2 years ago or 3/4 yrs ago when he was here.

Hell, a player like Chandler Parsons is getting $23M.
Harrison Barnes is getting $22M.
Victor Oladipo at $22Mil.
Ryan Anderson at $19M.
Wesley Matthews at $17.5M.

I'm sorry, Tim Hardaway is better than Wesley Matthews right now. He's all around better, he's younger & healthier. He's better than Crabbe & his $19M too. He's in that Oladipo bracket imo & if he was playing on a good team like OKC, he would've got a similar contract like Oladipo.

An average starter contract is $10 - $12 million, not nearly $20 million for a guy who has done nothing in his career but be mediocre, and hasn't even started much himself.

Chandler Parsons and Ryan Anderson are some of the worst contracts in the league. Surprised you didn't mention Deng and Noah too. If your best argument to defend a contract is to compare it to some of the worst in the league and say "hey, it's not as bad as THIS!" then your argument has already failed.

Where are you coming up with the idea that Hardaway Jr is a good player? Never shot above 36% from 3, does nothing offensively but chuck shots, doesn't rebound, doesn't pass, doesn't play defense and is a low IQ player. But he's only 25. Let's throw $18 million at him!

How long are you gonna try and sell yourself on this terrible contract? Until you actually watch Tim on the court and realize he is massively overpaid and we can't trade him anywhere because of his garbage contract and 15% trade kicker? It will be too late then.

Where are you coming up with the idea that Hardaway Jr. is a bum?
When's the last time you've seen him play?

Where are you coming up with the idea that Tim Hardaway Jr is anything more than a mediocre one dimensional SG. When is the last time you've seen him play?

[Louielou]

I'm still in disbelief. Can't believe how short-sighted a move we dared. Do they actually think another cap spike is coming soon? did they forget about the cap hell this team had in the 2000's? When Phil was stupidly kept and then dropped at such a critical moment I worried this franchise would worry and panic but gosh this is dumb on so many levels. We couldn't even try to make the contract a decent tradeable if had be.

The thing is, the dude is rfa...if we offer a low contract, the hawkz will easily match. What I dont understand is why is it with a trade kicker again.

Then you don't get him simple as that. We already have a dreadful unmovable contract and we are trying to trade a very difficult one in Melo. Overpaying for Hardaway just made it harder for this team to improve for at least 3 years.

[Amsterdam]

That is the old version of Hardaway Jr

New version of my Hardaway Jr isn't just a spot up shooter. He can shoot off the dribble now, there is video of it.

He also aggressively goes to the rim now, there is a lot of video of that too.

Oh, and his physical gifts? Dude hit the gym HARD last summer and gained definition, basically transformed his body. I am pretty sure even Mike Been commented on it during an MSG broadcast of a Knicks-Hawks game.

He may not be great, but we are not paying him to be great. We are paying him to be good, like Evan Fournier-good.

Dude, people here live in the past. If they follow NBA games they would have seen Timmy start taking over games for Atlanta. This Kid is going to score an easy 20pg in Hornacek's offense.

Dotson can get some nice minutes behind Timmy and if he translates, the Knicks are set in shooting guards for a while.
Hopefully, we set at the 4, 5 and now 2.

ahem....

Spoiler:

and 1

Boom yes!

[j4remi]

So they whiffed on Waiters and made a panic offer roughly 25 million dollars higher than the Hawks were prepared to match...I hope this works out, Timmy showed some signs but his improved defense just meant he wasn't trash any more, he's not the secondary ball handler to relieve Frank and while his three point shooting is good his percentages reflect poor shot selection even at his supposed strength. I'm not happy.

[Amsterdam]

I'm still in disbelief. Can't believe how short-sighted a move we dared. Do they actually think another cap spike is coming soon? did they forget about the cap hell this team had in the 2000's? When Phil was stupidly kept and then dropped at such a critical moment I worried this franchise would worry and panic but gosh this is dumb on so many levels. We couldn't even try to make the contract a decent tradeable if had be.

The thing is, the dude is rfa...if we offer a low contract, the hawkz will easily match. What I dont understand is why is it with a trade kicker again.

Then you don't get him simple as that. We already have a dreadful unmovable contract and we are trying to trade a very difficult one in Melo. Overpaying for Hardaway just made it harder for this team to improve for at least 3 years.

So let me get his right. The new TIm Hardaway Jr. is not an improvement over Courtney Lee? You, my man, don't watch NBA league games. Timmy is becoming a monster.

[Triple C]

Read on Twitter

After he was traded

[NoStatsGuy]

Its not a crazy overpayment..

Otto Porter got offered 100mil and everyone is Okay with it. somehow.

maybe becausae he shot 43% from three?

[Louielou]

Its not a crazy overpayment..

Otto Porter got offered 100mil and everyone is Okay with it. somehow.

In what universe is Hardaway as good a player as Porter? or close? Hardaway isn't even a better player than Lee at this point right now.

[dakomish23]

The PJax defenders are having a field day, but let's compare his big signing last summer to the one Mills just made as they got the same contract:

Noah played 29 games the season before
THJ played 79 games the season before

Noah lost his starting job on a non playoff team
THJ gained the starting job on a playoff team

Noah was coming off a year of career low scoring and shooting
THJ was coming off a year of career high scoring and shooting

Noah was coming in to start over a young prospect
THJ is coming in to start over an older player

Noah was 31 when he signed
THJ was 25 when he signed

I'm not defending the signing. I would of stopped at 14 per, IF I was even interested in signing THJ, which I wasn't. But using this to boost PJax is ridiculous.

This is not a soapbox

[Knicksfan20]

Project "Dismantle what Phil Created" has begun.

Making the Knicks Great Again.

Making the Knicks the Knicks Again.

[Amsterdam]

So they whiffed on Waiters and made a panic offer roughly 25 million dollars higher than the Hawks were prepared to match...I hope this works out, Timmy showed some signs but his improved defense just meant he wasn't trash any more, he's not the secondary ball handler to relieve Frank and while his three point shooting is good his percentages reflect poor shot selection even at his supposed strength. I'm not happy.

They didn't wiff on Waiters. It was mere speculation on some interest as well as Rondo etc. and nothing you heard from the Knicks. Waiters was not going to be a good fit here as he hogs the ball, neither is Rondo.

This is a young, tall and athletic backcourt the team is putting together with great shooters.

[MP4LIFE]

The PJax defenders are having a field day, but let's compare his big signing last summer to the one Mills just made as they got the same contract:

Noah played 29 games the season before
THJ played 79 games the season before

Noah lost his starting job on a non playoff team
THJ gained the starting job on a playoff team

Noah was coming off a year of career low scoring and shooting
THJ was coming off a year of career high scoring and shooting

Noah was coming in to start over a young prospect
THJ is coming in to start over an older player

Noah was 31 when he signed
THJ was 25 when he signed

I'm not defending the signing. I would of stopped at 14 per, IF I was even interested in signing THJ, which I wasn't. But using this to boost PJax is ridiculous.

This is not a soapbox

If your best argument is that this signing isn't as bad as the worst contract in the league then you have a poor argument.