Is Jaden Hardy the Steal of the Draft?

Jaden Hardy is looking like the biggest steal of the 2022 NBA Draft. The Dallas Mavericks selected Hardy with the 37th overall pick, and ever since he's been getting minutes, he's been a godsend for a team that's been struggling. With the team trading for Kyrie Irving as a second star next to Luka Doncic, it looks like Jaden Hardy might've been there the whole time, and the Mavericks didn't even realize it.
Hardy played for the G League instead of going the college route, and despite being one of the best high school recruits in the country, he fell out of the first round during the 2022 draft.
But now he's showing why he might be a future star.
Special thanks to @HARDYSGOAT fo supplying a couple clips and notes
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➥ 𝙏𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧: / aiexhoops
➥ 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣: / alexhoops
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Providing NBA analysis by making film digestible and using analytics thoughtfully to contextualize on-court production. I cover the NBA in various capacities as a writer and digital content creator. If you love basketball and the NBA, be sure to subscribe to my channel.
DISCLAIMER: I do not claim ownership of any footage or clips used in this video. The use of these clips is protected under Fair Use Policy.
#NBA #JadenHardy #DallasMavericksr

[@AlexHoops]

Is Jaden Hardy a future All-Star?

[@user-sh7fr9wj1h]

No

[@ProxenFPS]

for sure

[@Declanpistrin]

@@user-sh7fr9wj1h you hating

[@PikoNiko121]

100%

[@robojimtv]

Jalen Brunson 2.0?

[@matthewdelgado6679]

One thing I love about Hardy is he’s not SCARED. Mavs have been in too many clutch games and the players shit their pants. Hardy is not afraid to score

[@nomcred]

some guys just don't want it lol

[@Sonnel_James]

​@@nomcred Lebron James for example 😂

[@Cam71718]

@@Sonnel_Jameshe brings up scoring and you bring up literally the all time scoring leader lol

[@Sonnel_James]

@@Cam71718 that's literally irrelivant to what I was commenting for 😂

[@steviechampagne]

when we got him i was instantly excited. i got his draft night rookie card cause i knew he was gonna be a beast

[@brando_05]

This man gonna be a problem 🔥 as a Mavs fan he's one of the few good things to come out of this season, I love to see it

[@dhakadhaka3155]

Brunson was also a second round pick. Hopefully Mavs don’t screw this one up

[@niqowyd]

They didn’t really screw up on Brunson he wouldn’t have been as good as he is in NY staying in Dallas. He’s the floor general in NY but was a secondary ball handler next to Luka. Plus I’m taking Kyrie over Brunson 10/10 no matter the result

[@kingjasko]

@@niqowyd he showed that in sone dallas games already, if anything he'd have lower stats but higher efficiency in dallas

[@EDTheOneable]

​@@niqowyd bruh he was already that good on the Mavs 😂 he just made another leap with the Knicks.. Stop acting like the Mavs didn't fuck shit up

[@boynxtdoor]

mavs wont fumble this time, he's RFA at the end of the contract

[@stevenrivas3736]

@@boynxtdoor don't worry, we will fumble it

[@behindthearcyt]

i was so surprised on draft night he fell that far to the mavs in the beginning in 2nd round people forget he was projected to go top 10 or in the lottery before he had a rough season in the g league hope jason kidd gives him more minutes going forward because hardy has a lot of potential

[@Austin-cr5zo]

Ayo bro I love you I hope you find success

[@LoneStarTrezzy]

It was due to his inefficient play mixed his lack of defense motor which led to his draft stock dropping a lot.

[@behindthearcyt]

@@LoneStarTrezzy that definitely played a part as well but I was just saying he has the talent of a guy usually picked in the lottery

[@robojimtv]

Agree I expected him to be out of the lottery but was surprised he fell out of the whole first round

[@LoneStarTrezzy]

@@robojimtv that’s what everybody thought or at most early first round

[@RennWickam]

If you watched Hardy on the Ignite, you'd see the way he struggled to start the year and the strong way he finished it. Transitioning from playing against Highschoolers to grown men professionals who were often the best player on their college teams is a big jump. After he had time to figure it out, he looked phenomenal

[@Joe_Ma99]

That’s definitely a part of it but the main problem was he was playing with a bunch of scrubs of ignite and was immediately relied on to do everything. Even when he was getting his teammates open looks, they couldn’t hit shots or create for themselves. He was put in an impossible situation and it tanked his draft stock.

[@trvspvrk]

he’s a future star can’t believe he fell so low so many teams will regret passing up on him

[@thatoneguy5240]

Thank you Alex for making this amazing video, I’ve been a big fan of Jaden for 2 years and be finally getting some praise

[@jamieconnelly5719]

3:35 you're telling me Bertans went for a 2 pointer and the video is about someone else??

[@christopherboyd7177]

Does anyone have a midrange game anymore?

[@caydenrichmond9551]

Him and Green have taken incredible strides this season. This season is looking bleak as a Mavs fan, but Luka, Green and Hardy are hopefully gonna be great for years to come

[@howardcarmichael2024]

Luka forced cuban & nico to get help--Kyrie bolts--nobody big time coming--more of the same 42, 45 wins per year..Luka will demand trade eventually

[@Young90sbaby]

​@howard carmichael Mark Cuban will offer KY the Max and Mavs are the only team that can pay him the most money 💰 out if any team like 272 million KY not turning down that much money if

[@Young90sbaby]

​@howard carmichael Mark Cuban will offer KY the Max and Mavs are the only team that can pay him the most money 💰 out if any team like 272 million KY not turning down that much money if

[@Young90sbaby]

​@howard carmichael Mark Cuban will offer KY the Max and Mavs are the only team that can pay him the most money 💰 out if any team like 272 million KY not turning down that much money if

[@Young90sbaby]

​@howard carmichael Mark Cuban will offer KY the Max and Mavs are the only team that can pay him the most money 💰 out if any team like 272 million KY not turning down that much money if

[@raydripper101]

This video encompasses why Cuban might be a genius for the kyrie trade. Bring him in to let hardy learn from him and grow and if Kyrie walks they hope hardy breaks out bc his potential offensive production can be at least equal to kyrie and likely be a better defender. Definitely see hardy being an all star a couple times

[@gulez7401]

absoutely amazing talent, eases my tension about the uncertain future of this team.

[@DanielCastro-ok8zb]

Hey, it's the Mavs, he might be let go for nothing after all, just like our last gem from the second round.

[@Monkeysinthesummer]

He’ll be playing for knicks in two seasons

[@erichong4786]

maybe he will be a future star, but right now hes slightly below average, which for a rookie is astounding. Hard to say though since he is in Dallas and they are in a desperate need for a defensive center, not another shooting guard.

[@danraul9759]

Even though losing brunson was a fairly big hit to the Mavs, he wasn't even close to Hardy's level in his rookie year which just shows that his ceiling is really high.

[@richardoteri9746]

Everyone is coming out with videos of jaden hardey now 🥺🥺 I feel like a proud dad right now been following this kid since his high school days. He has IT in him. He will be a special player especially since he has luka and kyrie to learn from.

[@kingjasko]

He is good. He was really raw looking at the start of the season, but even back then he showed glimpses of what he is showing now, this is why we mavs fans hated kidd not playing him more

[@shaunakkulkarni4679]

He’s still really new and will take a season to develop.

[@saadatkazi1536]

"We" did not hate Kidd for not playing him more. You did. He was a rookie, what did you expect?

[@denlanharmoning5461]

Was it a surprise? Everybody knew he was good. Thought the Lakers were gonna draft him at 35 and I was astonished they passed on him. Always liked this guys game.

[@SonnyK248]

The guy was ranked number 2 in his high school class less than two years ago. Chet was 1. Paulo was 4. Then he averaged 18 points against grown men in the G League instead of going to college. It's crazy that this guy didn't go in the first round. Dyson Daniels was the eighth pick and he played on that Ignite team too. If Hardy did what Shaedon Sharpe did and never played a game between high school and the draft he's have probably been picked ahead of him. Or at least around that area.

[@jnmc2498]

The only positive thing with the Mavs this season

[@WokeMelo]

I remember screaming his name on twitter & instagram chats the whole draft after pick 20 tbh… This guy was the number 2 talent out of high school, I’ve realized Scouts & Front Offices are still relatively scared of players they can’t watch against college. One of his biggest negatives in the draft process was “Shot Selection” when most people don’t realize most of the G League Ignite in general is horrible shot selection, the whole roster of guys for the most part are in it for themselves taking anything they can to get their draft stock up. Although Luka has been my favorite player for nearly 6+ years now since Kobe retired, I was almost disappointed Hardy went to Dallas because most have known for a while they are horrible with young talent it’s sad that it took more then half the year for one of the most talented players on the roster to get real minutes… hopefully that horrible coaching staff have seen the light this time around

[@CHICHIBOI]

The Magic had 2 picks in the second round. They ended up trading one, but I was so disappointed they didn’t pick Hardy

[@desertbabydadoncj9995]

I was watching a mavs game which I normally don't do cause I'm a suns fan , however hardy really makes me excited not for Dallas but for hardy alone I'm a fan now and I want him to prosper

[@bigdaddymark2256]

Great analysis. More subs coming soon for sure

[@youngwikid1]

I'll never forget campazzo getting minutes over hardy 😡

[@zzzzzzzoooorrrroroooo]

he was literally shooting deep and averaging 30 in high school. with how important shooting is i dont understand why he wasnt in the top 20 picks

[@landonlogsdon490]

Good thing his dad never played for the Knicks

[@kennethckf9382]

best thing is now he can learn from Kyrie side-by-side, which is the ultimate version that Hardy could be in the future

[@citrustron4474]

I’m hoping that if Kyrie does decide to move on from Dallas in the offseason, Jaden Hardy can continue to grow and be a solid replacement at the 2. Not that he is as good as Kyrie or that I expect him to be, but I think he can be one of the better guards in the league.

[@thatoneguy5240]

Thank you Alex for making this amazing video, I’ve been a big fan of Jaden for 2 years and be finally getting some praise

[@tsu-7u]

The lesson here is the g-league jump is better for playing experience.

[@benjamin2091]

If kyrie don't come back i hope they put him on 2

[@Kauko13]

Mavs trade anyone that shows potential and gets along with Luka... their team building tactics are next level...

[@mockingbirdex3450]

Jason Kidd is holding Dallas back. He gets away with bc he was a great player.

[@Austin-cr5zo]

They also made it to the conference finals last year bro. He is being stubborn this year tho.

[@mockingbirdex3450]

@@Austin-cr5zo Thats true. Im just being a bit stubborn myself. But is also true that in J Kidds 2th year as a coach, of whatever team he is on, there´s always a huge drop off. (Especially on defence)

[@fodekaba2732]

When kuminga video ?

[@radcon03]

Bro was in my English class sophomore year of high school and now he’s a rising star in the league. Absolutely wild, hopefully he’s an all star next season

[@grapeape1965]

He is nowhere close to a rising star in the league

[@artix1332]

@@grapeape1965 tf you mean bruh, with decent PT Hardy is one of the best scorers of this draft class

[@knuckey]

@@grapeape1965 22 ppg in per 36

[@fireball7791]

Please make an Austin reaves video it’d be lit

[@tbd7898]

He's gonna be so good on the 2029 new york knicks

[@zinktomas8251]

He was a projected top 5 pick like 18 months ago. Insane he fell so far in the draft.

[@amaritaylor6387]

Crazy part about it I wanted my bucks to draft him so bad 🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️

[@carlosacosta1290]

He’d be a great fit on the bucks luckily my Mavs got him though

[@mavsfanforever7919]

Jalen brunson 2.0. Luka should be playing with rising talent, not established ones.

[@cornpopwasabaddudeandhehad4737]

that boy look like a young DAME DOLLA$$ OK J KIDD need to give 25 min a night

[@howardcarmichael2024]

no, doesnt play defense...mavs still average team, after Kyrie leaves....team needs fresh blood..at best Hardy will be traded

[@ReAIex17]

Hardy is my favorite mav rn. I hope he stays in dallas and gets the 6th man position in the 2023-24 season

[@trumpisfrom63rd96]

I said jaden hardy was the anfernee simons of this draft class former top 10 guy that dropped to the second round

[@jcsmooth8976]

Just spoke about Jaden not my channel!! His Allstar potential is there!!

[@bobanderson6675]

I thought he was up there with Shaedon Sharpe and Jaden Ivey as the best guards in the class.

[@macv8912]

yeah he's really good but I just don't want this to be another nash or brunson :(

[@montevans7110]

He was highly recruited , coming out of high school right?

[@kohuuh]

Hardy kinda reminds me of a slightly bigger Dame

[@Shortballa11]

Ain’t helping the Mavs right bow

[@shan8245]

this dude is a star on my 2k20 my league

[@glenn-fr7hj]

Now of the mavs fire Kidd and hire Udoka

[@GabrielSilva-sk6wb]

Only Jason kidd who doesn't see this.

[@ActiveHguru]

Jason Kidd is the problem

[@ethanmoseley3157]

I recently watched him against the warriors and that man was hooping

[@shroud_ternal4964]

I love watching men play ball

[@rylancharron2674]

He better be, otherwise the mavs are screwed

[@youtubewatcher6124]

Make a video about Austin Reaves

[@siraaj1]

i would give alex hoops a kiss on the cheeks

[@ABruhMan]

IM STEAL PISS THE PISTONS DIDNT DRAFT HIM! He was right there man 🤦🏽‍♂️

[@geechiepolo]

Most ppl thought he was lottery

[@thepeetachip1847]

Didn’t hear anything about his defense. If he can’t defend then he’s the next Duncan Robinson.

[@AlexHoops]

Did you not watch the whole video?

[@DonDeDon445]

I think he’ll be an okay role player. Luka has the ball so much that I don’t think he’ll ever be this super nice player. Plus J Kidd coaches like it’s still 2007. Kyrie prolly ain’t staying either. They’re just so bad defensively now that they don’t need more offense.

[@terrancewoods3463]

Jaden is my home boy's son😎

[@Jacob-hq1wf]

Sorry but its Tari Eason

[@derrellevans1092]

Jaden Hardy will be the Next Damian Lillard and Jaden Hardy will work out with Damian Lillard in the offseason on a three-point shot

[@corywickenkamp8173]

And Kidd did nothing with him.

[@ollytropics1735]

The mavs need to see that they almost have a nice core with green Luka and hardy. I think they should sign and trade kyrie for a young role player perhaps Nikola jovic and a pick to get siddy cisoko they'd have a nice core starting to form

[@iamchaunceman]

He finished the g league strong last year. It’s like THAT was his rookie year. I do think choosing that path cost him big on draft day but the Mavs will surely benefit and with all the turmoil in Dallas he very well could be starting by this time next year. He’s grown into a man in the last three months, a confident, crazy fast, smooth operator who has future star qualities. Now I know why he was a projected top 3 pick the year before. Nico did one good thing, and it better pay off since his first mistake as a new GM was NOT signing Brunson for 12 million a year. That mistake can cost him a career as a GM.

[@jakecraigfisherman]

The thing about hardy that stands out to me is that Dallas is asking him to do A LOT. Most of the other top rookies are on bad teams and they can just go out there and ball. The Mavs are asking him to do a lot and play big meaningful minutes on a team where every game is a MUST win.

[@christopherboyd7177]

As a mavs fan, we actually draft well recently. Problem is big d always trades their picks like they are going outta style

[@VoltaDoMar]

I've believed him in from the start. He's a guy who you can give the ball to and you don't have to tell him what to do, he knows. He just goes out there and plays his game and doesn't get in his head.

[@legendaryjayhan]

HES SO SLEPT ON MAN 😢

[@Frank-hv7xj]

I think Hardy is a future allstar, I think his allstar comparison is Bradley Beal.

[@BrickFighter13]

Jaden Hardy has All Star written all over him! Him and Luka are likely the duo of the future. The future of Dallas stay looking bright, especially if Kyrie stays!

[@hardywoodaway9912]

dude, I need what you’re taking

[@aintpace]

thank u for this video, im a long time mavs fan and we been hopeless this past week 😂

[@吉川-x9x]

why not bro?

[@_swif_]

I really wanted the Sixers to grab this kid. Really love his play.

[@abdulallahi1083]

I mean this draft was loaded guard loaded too so its not surprising he was drafted low

[@urbaindelva7869]

He should be a consistent part of the Mavericks' rotation next season.

[@simonppp]

W alex

[@derrellevans1092]

Jalen Harden 3-point percentage at 88% from 3

[@micha-fc8lg]

give him a max instead of kyrie!!😂😂

[@Googoogagabanana]

I always draft or sign this dude in myleague🔥

[@greedisbad9890]

I'll still take Kessler as the steal of the draft I know he's higher but he's already in dpoy and rookie of the year conversation

[@deontaecrummie4003]

Kings should’ve kept him

[@joshuaramirez6615]

no

[@SomeGoodBroth]

If only 2k recognized him

[@pepegajones6541]

Do you think Jaden Hardy is better right now than Jaden Ivy? And do you think Hardy would have been a better fit next to Cade Cunningham

[@ABruhMan]

The Pistons should’ve drafted him instead of Procida man!! Troy Weaver draft picks always have me scratching my head after

[@Alex_13169]

I hope Kyrie leaves so he can finish to develop

[@Enlightened_SpursFan]

most underrated basketball channel

[@rdn658]

superstar in the making if teams do not mess him up

[@rorank]

That elbow at 6:43 was CRAZY

[@rumpy8395]

Let me know in the replies how the Mavericks are gonna screw this one up!

[@tkuebler9561]

By keeping Kidd as HC, he is the only one that has kept Hardy from scoring this season.

[@hoopsfactnation]

He is balling lately 🔥

[@timberwolvesenthusiast8014]

Hi alex

[@AlexHoops]

Hi timberwolvesenthusist8014

[@maxhernandez6590]

I love your videos! Love from 🇲🇽

[@LongLostTJ]

Great video

[@matt53494]

Man's got zero defense and no handle

[@kot6825]

Lol right cause Brunson was such an amazing defender.....

[@matt53494]

@@kot6825 u can't possibly be comparing hardey to brunson ... hardey has zero handle

[@agayactornamedmichaeldougl6289]

​@@matt53494what a difference a year makes.

[@clipntn1092]

hey alex, were you still with the mavs organization when they were looking at him in the draft?

[@AlexHoops]

I’ve never worked with the Mavs organization sadly

[@LilDusty23]

I think you getting Alex confused with Coach Daniel.

[@silas_._952]

really looking like an absolute steal for the mavs considering his good development might help them keep luka long term