Tim Hardaway Jr. could be considered one of the underrated moves of the offseason thus far, but it'd be foolish to expect that this move alone is going to solve all of the Miami Heat's shooting issues heading into this upcoming season.
It's a reality that the Denver Nuggets quickly learned last year, and why they were so willing to see him walk away in free agency. While Hardaway Jr. was certainly productive in spurts this past season, he obviously has the faults that keep him from being a complete player.
It's not only something that the Pistons quickly learned recently, but something that the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, and Atlanta Hawks all concluded previously.
The Heat will need to look for answers beyond Tim Hardaway Jr.
Especially considering how much weight Hardaway Jr. is projected to carry up to this point (considering the moves that the Heat just haven't made in free agency to fill out the rest of their roster), it's pretty safe to say that the Heat will learn quickly that this move alone won't be the complete answer to their concerns in the backcourt.
If the Heat expect Hardaway Jr. to be the starter at the shooting guard position (as a replacement for Norman Powell and/or Tyler Herro), the Heat may be in for a rude awakening.
In the right role, Hardaway Jr. has been a positive contributor throughout his 13-year career in the NBA. Unfortunately, of late, that just hasn't been a starter. Theoretically, for the Heat, you'd expect that to continue to be the case.
And there's reason to believe that Hardaway Jr. could thrive off the bench for Miami.
The Heat might be setting up Tim Hardaway Jr. for failure
But unless the Heat is able to acquire a full-time starter at the two-guard, or if they're ready to hand over the reins to Pelle Larsson, Hardaway Jr. may be forced into a role that he's no longer capable of excelling in.
The last thing Miami needs to do is set up Hardaway Jr. for failure. And forcing him into a starting role may be exactly that.
On paper, Hardaway Jr. is coming off a really good season. He averaged 13.5 points on 41 percent shooting from 3-point range, playing off Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in Denver. The hope is that he can mirror that production while operating next to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
However, if the Heat is expecting Hardaway Jr. to be their only other notable move this offseason, that's just not going to cut it. After gutting their roster in the blockbuster trade for Giannis, the Heat had clear questions about whether they'd have enough shooting and playmaking in the backcourt.
Despite his capabilities from the 3-point line, Hardaway Jr. is unlikely to answer all of the Heat's concerns on those fronts. Nor should they expect him to.
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