NBA Draft: Jaden Hardy Isn’t The Scorer James Harden Is, He’s Better
We’ve seen a lot of guys go through the NBA Draft being declared, “the best scorer of this class.” Most of them never really pan out. Andrew Wiggins was that guy. R.J. Barrett was that guy. Markele Fultz was that guy. DAngelo Russell was that guy. Well, I’ll be the first to tell you, when it comes to the 2022 NBA Draft, Jaden Hardy IS NOT that guy.
Debate all we want about who the best prospect of the 2022 class is. If you want to say Chet Holmgren, you can follow the consensus and believe that. It’s fine if you think Paolo Banchero becomes the next great superstar. But, if we are looking for sure things, and someone who’s guaranteed to put the ball in the hoop (and that is the point of basketball), don’t talk yourself into thinking it is anyone other than Hardy.
We all want to make the James Harden comps to every NBA player who shows any type of scoring potential. Let’s set the record straight, Jaden Hardy is not James Harden. Yes, he is probably the most gifted scorer to come into the NBA Draft in quite some time. We all must remember, Harden wasn’t viewed as a 30+ point guy when he got drafted at 4. You’re once again lying to yourself if you thought that.
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Hardy, I can say this confidently, is a sure thing to be a 30+ point scorer in the NBA. Again, not Harden coming out of Arizona State. He’s deadly from every spot on the court. Hardy has a deadly array of moves and techniques to score. He always has that green light in his head. The man is a walking bucket.
Unless we see drastic improvements, Hardy isn’t going to lead the league in assists. He’s not going to be a solid defender for years to come. Yet, when it comes down to it, he will win games. That’s what matters, right.
Let’s Forget the James Harden comp. Jaden Hardy plays a lot like a smarter Colin Sexton. He’s going to get buckets. He’s got a workhorse mentality that will lend itself well to today’s NBA. For anyone who says, “Colin Sexton is a nobody”, I advise you to look at Cleveland’s roster. The reason they win games is that he’s scoring buckets (Well, Darius Garland makes a difference as well). Hardy can score like that. And, if we are being honest, he’s probably already a more advanced scorer now than Sexton was at this age.
If you want to really get someone’s knickers in a twist, why stop at Colin Sexton? How about Bradley Beal, the true best scorer in the NBA. He has an unlimited range. Despite his lack of passing or rebounding numbers, the man was well deserving of an All-Star nod. His 3-point shot being the worst percentage because he took the most shots from deep. That’s the player Jaden Hardy is. He’s going to score from all angles, he is going to create his shot, the man is going to win.
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It’s totally fine to want someone who could be a better all-around prospect. Holmgren will be a solid stretch big, Banchero is built like LeBron James, Adrian Griffin is an athletic freak of nature, and Jalen Duren is probably the best big man in this class. If we are going off of sure things, that’s Jaden Hardy’s scoring.
Using the 20-80 scouting scale baseball produces to measure prospect’s tools, Hardy is an 80 on the scoring scale. That means it is can’t miss. I challenge anyone to debate the scoring prowess of Jaden Hardy. Quite frankly, it is damn right impossible.
Image Source: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
