When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Jaden Hardy over the summer as part of the Deandre Ayton deal, I was pleased. My knowledge of Hardy's game stemmed mostly from watching him as a rookie and a second-year player on the Luka Doncic-led Dallas Mavericks group that reached the NBA Finals in 2024.
At that point, Hardy was a 20- or 21-year-old stud with a sparkling future ahead of him. Hardy's still only 24. 'The Lakers just got a really good player!' I thought to myself this offseason. Little did I know that Hardy hasn't added anything to his game over the past three or four years.
Jaden Hardy's messy ball-handling was exposed in Lakers' first two preseason games
Hardy is an incredible athlete with a 6-foot-9 wingspan that defies his 6-foot-3 frame. Even as a rookie, he was a natural scorer and a disruptor defensively (when motivated). He wasn't a good ball-handler, but I assumed he'd improve upon that part of his game in due time.
He hasn't. Watching the Lakers' first two preseason games this week, Hardy's inability to handle the ball under any pressure was tough to watch. Forget about initiating an offense -- he can't even withstand a double team or a blitz without turning the ball over or escaping awkwardly.
This is a sorry reality for a Lakers team that could really use Hardy's ball-handling behind Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Collin Sexton. As of now, LA might be relying on Bronny James to play third-string point guard (especially until Sexton is healthy), but that comes with some risks.
And forget about the Lakers for a second -- it's a shame for Hardy's career that he hasn't figured out how to improve as a ball-handler and passer. He does so many other things well and would easily be good enough to be a rotation player on most NBA teams if he figured out the ball-handling part.
At his size, Hardy can't afford not to have ball-handling skills. I don't understand how or why the coaching staff in Dallas didn't ensure that Hardy developed those skills over the three-plus seasons that he was there. Then again, there was a lot of dysfunction happening with that franchise at the time, as we now know.
Don't get me wrong -- I still like Hardy, and he's still young enough to make a career for himself. But it's disturbing and odd that he's still such a poor ball-handler entering his fifth NBA season. I'm rooting for him to take root in the Lakers' rotation, but I wouldn't bet on it.
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