Kidd acknowledges there’s no ceiling for Hardy

When asked after Saturday’s practice what’s the ceiling for third-year guard Jaden Hardy, Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd didn’t mince words.

“The ceiling is, there is no ceiling,” Kidd said. “That’s up to him and the work that he puts in. We’ll see where he ends up.

“He’s a young player, he’s worked extremely hard on his craft and he’s getting better each year.”

Hardy averaged 7.3 points in 13.5 minutes last season while playing 73 games, and is known as a bucket-getter who has blazing speed. And his defense has also steadily improved.

In the Mavs’ 121-116 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in their preseason opener this past Monday, Hardy started and produced game highs of 21 points and eight assists along with three steals. He also converted six of his 10 shots from beyond the three-point arc.

And while coming off the bench during Thursday’s 107-102 loss to the Utah Jazz, Hardy tallied 12 points and picked up four assists and was 2-of-6 from downtown.

“With the injuries now (to Dante Exum), (Hardy) can start,” Kidd said. “He’s one of the first guys off the bench.

“Healthy, he can still be part of that rotation and not start because of the names that are ahead of him. But he’s had an incredible training camp up until this point. We look forward to him playing minutes and being a part of that rotation.”

IRVING’S LEADERSHIP: After Saturday’s practice, Kidd had a conversation on the sidelines with guard Kyrie Irving.

Along with guard Luka Dončić, Irving is one of the undisputed leaders of the Mavs. So, those conversations are always golden.

“I think when you talk about Kai’s leadership – (he’s) soft spoken, but powerful, because of when you look at what he’s done up to this point,” Kidd said. “He’s a champion, he’s won, everyone respects his game.”

The respect for Irving reached a higher level after he hit the series-deciding three-pointer in leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA title over the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

“When you talk about him being able to put together generations, they all respect his dribbling, his scoring, his competitiveness,” Kidd said. “So, they all want to pick his brain on how they can all get better.

“He takes the time out to spend with the young group to try to make the game easier for them. That’s just who he is. He spends a lot of time with that young group.”

As for his conversation with Irving, Kidd said: “We’re over there just talking about the history of the game. But that’s just who he is.

“He’s worldly. Not just basketball, but off the floor, too.”

MORE BONDING FOR MAVS: The Mavs enjoyed some bonding moments this summer when several of them met in Los Angeles – thanks to Klay Thompson – for some camaraderie and friendly scrimmages.

More bonding moments came from Oct. 1-5 when the Mavs met in Las Vegas for training camp. And now even more is on the way – thanks to guard Kyrie Irving – who is opening up his Los Angeles home to his teammates.

“We’re going to Kai’s house tomorrow night and have some dinner,” guard Quentin Grimes said. “So, it’ll be fun to get out there for about three days and kind of just get out there and enjoy each other’s company and learn more about each other and go out there and try to get a win and clean up them kinks and stuff out there in preseason and get ready for the first game of the season.”

Along with Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall, Grimes is part of a new group of Mavs players who are trying to learn the team’s offensive and defensive schemes.

“We’ve got to break some bad habits that we came from,” Grimes said. “Klay’s got 14 years of habits he got to get out of, I’ve got three, Naji got about four or five.

“We’ve got to go out there and learn our offense and get used to playing with each other.”

BRIEFLY: Coach Jason Kidd said guard Luka Dončić (left calf contusion) and forward P. J. Washington (left hip tightness) will not play in Monday’s road game against the Los Angeles Clippers. But, will they play in the preseason finale on Thursday at American Airlines Center against the Milwaukee Bucks? “We’ll see how everything is going when we come back from LA and we’ll probably have a better sense of what’s going to take place on Thursday,” Kidd said. “P. J. went through practice (on Saturday) and is good. And Luka participated in the non-contact (drills) today.” . . . Forward Maxi Kleber (left ankle sprain) has yet to be able to go through a full practice during training camp. “Hopefully, we’ll get him back on the floor here somewhere on (Friday),” Kidd said. “The things that he’s been doing on the court has been good.”. .Along with the Clippers, the Mavs will be christening Los Angeles’ newest arena. Monday’s game will be the first game played in the Clippers’ 18,000-seat Intuit Dome. “I think it’s great to have this opportunity to be the first to play in this new arena,” Kidd said. “We’ve only heard great things about it, so we’re excited to see it.” The Clippers broke ground on their new state of the arts arena on Sept. 17, 2021. “I’ve seen the pictures a couple of times,” guard Quentin Grimes said. “It looks like a pretty nice arena. It’ll be fun to play in something like that, for sure. Hopefully, we can crash their party a little bit.” . . . The Mavs will be looking at a familiar face on Monday in Clippers’ forward Derrick Jones Jr. In 76 games for the Mavs last season – including 66 starts – Jones averaged 8.6 points, shot 48.3 percent from the field and was an integral part of their defense. And when he became a free agent this past summer, Jones signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Clippers. “We’re happy for DJ for signing his new deal,” Kidd said. “We would have loved to sign him here, but understanding he had that choice. He did a lot for us, but now he’s with the Clippers.” . . . Grimes likes the way the Mavs hold all of their players accountable for their actions. “I think that’s just what the culture is here with the Mavs,” Kidd said. “It’s about (players) one through 18 being held accountable, understanding we want to win. If you’re not accountable, then it’s hard to win in this league. What (Grimes is) talking about is true. Everyone is accountable from Luka (Dončić ) all the way down to that 18^th guy, whoever that may be. Q plays extremely hard and he wants to be a part of it and he’s doing everything to do that.” . . . Kidd said he’ll ask more from Washington this season. “We’re always going to ask for more,” Kidd said. “That’s just the nature as a coach. We’re going to ask him to do more – bring the ball up, get us organized. Nothing different about the defensive end. He’s going to guard. Being able to shoot the three and then also being able to play-make, and then also post up. We saw that in the postseason last year – his ability to post up smaller guys. We just want P. J. to be himself. He doesn’t have to do anything outside the box. He’s a team guy. He’s about helping the team win. We’re excited that we have him and the other guys like that (who) can help us.”

X: @DwainPrice