Make no mistake about what motivates Tim Hardaway Jr.
By all accounts from Hawks coaches and players, the shooting guard had a “magnificent” summer in preparation for the upcoming NBA season. Was it something from the end of last season that was the impetus to spend, by his estimation, 90 percent of the offseason in the gym and weight room in Atlanta? Oh, no.
Hardaway once again returns to the very beginning of his tenure with the Hawks. After being acquired in a draft-night trade with the Knicks last year, the former first-round pick did not play in 31 of the team’s first 35 games. That included two stints in the NBA Development League. That was not going to happen again.
“I took that heart,” Hardaway said. “I never want to be in that situation again. I always want to be the guy who can help the team any way I can. I think this offseason, I went into it with that mindset, getting better and getting the job done in the weight room, getting the job done on the court, on the track, wherever we had workouts.”
Hardaway said the Hawks recommended he take three weeks off and then get into his offseason conditioning and skill work. He took a week off. Save for several weekend trips home, Hardaway was at the Hawks facilities. His constant companion was Mike Muscala.
“I think it was a magnificent summer for me,” Hardaway said. “I haven’t been in this good of shape since my rookie year, especially going in with all the player development guys and assistant coaches. They definitely helped me get that confidence back. It helped going from the season with that momentum of going to workouts, weight lifting, conditioning and basketball core work.”
Coach Mike Budenholzer has been impressed with what Hardaway has accomplished since the Hawks season ended in May. Budenholzer sees a renewed confidence but also a stronger, more explosive body and an improved skill set including shooting, passing, reading defenses and decision making.
“The most tangible thing is every time I came here, he was here,” Budenholzer said when asked for a particular area of improvement in Hardaway. “He was in the weight room. He was on the court. He was shooting. I think everybody worked hard this summer but I think he and Mike Muscala were the most consistent day in and day out for a majority of the summer.”
The weight room work consisted on countless squats and deadlifts aimed at reducing his lower body fat and creating a more explosive lower body. Hardaway doesn’t want to just be an improved shooter. He wants to be better driving to the basket, running the lane, catching lobs and playing off the pick-and-roll. He has an athleticism that has impressed Hawks coaches.
Hardaway said he “locked in” to improve his game. He went to bed early. He got up early. He was at the gym sometimes six hours a day. He would work out at Philips Arena in the morning and take part in The Skill Factory workout with teammates and other NBA players in the evening – his two-a-days as he called it.
“We fed off each other,” Muscala said.
After he returned from his second D-League stint last season, Hardaway played every one of the Hawks’ final 47 regular-season games and nine of 10 postseason contests. He averaged 6.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 16.9 minutes during the regular season. He had two 20-point games, back-to-back efforts on March 17 and 19.
“I’ve always put it in the context that he went through something difficult, he put in the work and the time and he realized how it can benefit him,” Budenholzer said. “I think he has a better appreciation for the work and how it can be a positive.”
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