The Detroit Pistons let Tim Hardaway Jr. walk to the Nuggets on a minimum contract in the offseason, and the veteran wing keeps making Detroit regret it. THJ is shooting over 40 percent from 3-point range and helping Denver win without Nikola Jokic in the lineup. This move has been a disaster as Detroit can’t shake their shooting woes.
The Pistons are 27th in 3-pointers made and 21st in 3-point percentage this season. They are first in the Eastern Conference and looking like a serious contender, but the one thing that trips them up is shooting. They lost to the Suns on Thursday night after making just six 3-pointers and connecting on 21 percent from long range. They are 5-6 this season when they make eight or fewer triples in a game and 17-2 when at least 12 go down.
Hardaway Jr. is making 2.9 3-pointers every night and having an elite season coming off the bench in the Mile High City. The Nuggets signed him to a minimum contract. Detroit could have kept the talented wing if they offered even a bit more money. Pistons fans know what THJ can do, which makes this mistake look even worse.
Tim Hardaway Jr. is thriving after the Pistons let him walk
THJ averages 14.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 27.3 minutes per game this season. He is shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 40.2 percent on his 3-point tries. His jumper can be inconsistent on a nightly basis, but fans know he will make shots.
The Pistons replaced Hardaway Jr. with Caris LeVert, who landed a two-year contract worth $29 million. LeVert is producing significantly less than THJ in the Motor City. He averages just 7.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 0.9 steals in 19.7 minutes per game. The 6’7 wing is shooting 34.0 percent from 3-point range and not offering the gravity or scoring punch the Pistons need.
Detroit could have paid a fraction of that to keep Hardaway Jr., who is a better fit with their roster. In the playoffs, the Pistons won his minutes by 0.4 points per 100 possessions and lost the time he was on the bench by 6.7. It is a small sample size, but his shooting boosted the entire team.
When the jumpers are falling, the Pistons are nearly unstoppable. When Detroit makes ten or more 3-pointers in a game, they are 24-5 on the season. Now, imagine adding Hardaway’s nearly three triples per contest to this roster. Cade Cunningham excelled playing off shooters last season and would have found THJ even more this year.
The Detroit Pistons should regret letting Tim Hardaway Jr. walk to significantly overpay for Caris LeVert. They are first in the East and looking like a serious threat to win the conference. To make that reality, the Pistons need more shooting. They had it, and this regret will grow if this becomes their fatal flaw in the playoffs. Hardaway Jr. is thriving in Denver, and all fans can do is dream of what could have been.