NBA

How Hardaway quickly took the next step

In mid-January, after a tough Knicks loss in Charlotte, Tim Hardaway, a scout for the Miami Heat, huddled with his son in the quiet of the visitors’ locker room.

It was a night of roiling controversy as J.R. Smith had been benched for the second time in four games amid a feud with coach Mike Woodson. But there were the Hardaways, talking quietly at his locker for nearly 20 minutes.

It was a bold decision by Woodson to let the father of a rookie inside the locker room, especially considering his employer. But it showed everything. Woodson considers Hardaway Jr. with the same respect as a veteran.

Hardaway’s rookie year has been the bright spot of the season, which continues with the Knicks facing the Heat Saturday night on Super Bowl Eve. Being named to the Rookie-Sophomore Game for All-Star Weekend was just confirmation. The 24th pick in the draft is averaging 18.3 points on 57.4 percent shooting during the team’s four-game winning streak.

Miami’s Dwyane Wade felt like an old man when Hardaway Jr. checked into the game on Jan. 9 in the initial Knicks-Heat meeting at the Garden.

“I came in and little Timmy was (in the practice gym) playing during the games like my kids are now,’’ Wade told reporters Friday following the Heat’s practice in Miami. “To see that I’m playing against him when he checked in the game, I took that moment and I looked and was like, ‘This is unbelievable.’

“Timmy Jr. has a very good chance in this league to be very good for multiple years,’’ Wade added. “I just told him, I’m going to get him early before he gets real good and by the time he gets real good I’ll be watching him.”

Hardaway has been a rotation player all season,  averaging 9.1 points, leading rookies in 3-point shooting at 41.9 percent, and setting his career-high 29 points in Thursday’s rout of Cleveland. Eighteen of those points came in the fourth quarter, when he hit two big 3’s just as Cleveland had cut the lead to 14. His six 3-pointers tied a Knicks rookie record shared by Nate Robinson and Toney Douglas.

“He’s one of those pros who were pros before they came into the league,’’ Knicks center Tyson Chandler said. “From the first day he stepped in here, he’s been a constant professional.’’

When the Knicks and Heat do battle, Hardaway’s father will certainly be torn again. When the Heat visited the Knicks,  Hardaway was there.

“I am rooting for Tim Hardaway Jr. and the Miami Heat,” Hardaway told the Palm Beach Post that night. “I do not root for the Knicks. I root for Tim Hardaway Jr.

“He is doing what I expected he can do, turn some heads, show people he can play. He understands the game. As a rookie, he’s a consummate pro.”

The Knicks are now looking for Hardaway in the deep corner, and it’s become a dangerous part of their offense to get opposing defenses rotating on pick-and-rolls. The  knock on Hardaway coming out of Michigan was not being a surefire threat from deep. He was known more as an overall scorer.

“I tried to work on everything, but mainly my outside shot,’’ Hardaway said. “I knew if I could shoot very well, I knew I could help a team out. I focused on that going into the summer.’’


The Knicks may have inadvertently fed the conspiracy-theory lottery beast Friday in their farewell tweet to Commissioner David Stern on his final day. It read, in part, “Thanks for a great 30 years.’’ Embedded in the tweet was a photo of Stern next to a newly drafted Patrick Ewing holding up a “33’’ Knicks jersey after the 1985 draft.


New basketballs bearing the insignia of Commissioner Adam Silver will debut for Saturday’s games. NBA spokesman Tim Frank said teams were given new balls to “break in’’ at practices two months ago. The old Stern balls can still be used at practices.


Amar’e Stoudemire isn’t expected back Saturday and Iman Shumpert (shoulder sprain) still is questionable.