Cavs NBA Draft Notebook: Jaden Hardy Scouting Report
Jaden Hardy Scouting Report
Height/Weight: 6’4″, 200 LBS
G-League Stats: 21.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.9 APG
3-Point/Field Goal/FT: 33%/39%/70%
When you first watch Hardy’s game, it’s easy to fall in love with him on the offensive end. His ball-handling is up to par with some of the best in the NBA. Hardy loves to use his hesitation move to get to the rim. He has a tendency to use it too often, so working on his ball-handling arsenal will definitely be a priority for him. As for his shooting, his statistics in the G-League season don’t do it justice.
He is a knockdown shooter, with miles of range. So how did such a good shooter have such bad shooting numbers in 13 games? Well, that is more of a problem with his shot selection.
Hardy is ultra-confident, as most great basketball players need to be. However, he tends to settle for jump shots when he could draw contact going to the rim. His shot selection can definitely be improved upon, but the shots he missed in the G-League this year were good NBA-level shots. He just needs to knock them down, like he’s capable of.
On the defensive end, it’s all about effort. He’s got some quick-twitch ability, and great explosion, but does get lazy on the defensive end. He’s not a player who will average over two steals a game, or a guy who will block a lot of shots. However, if he buys into a defensive mindset, it could unlock a star two-way player, who can create his own shots.
His shot-creating ability for himself is the most intriguing aspect of his game. He uses his crafty ball-handling to feel out defenders, deciding whether to pull up or drive to the hoop. If you watched a lot of the Cavs this year, it was very evident that there weren’t a lot of shot creators on the court. Outside of Caris LeVert, who the team traded for at the deadline, the offense runs through Darius Garland. When he’s not on the floor, the offense gets incredibly stagnant.
By adding Hardy you get a player who can spot up, or take over some floor general duties as well. Now, I know a lot of you are thinking about Collin Sexton and where he would fit in with this selection, though.