Former Wolverine Tim Hardaway Jr. Proves a Major Asset to Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons fell to the New York Knicks at Little Caesars Arena in game six of the series. They did not go down without a fight, however, with former Wolverine Tim Hardaway Jr. leading the charge against his former team. Hardaway Jr., son of NBA hall-of-famer Tim Hardaway Sr., was drafted by the Knicks in the first round of the 2013 draft after his junior year at Michigan.

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Hardaway Jr. played an integral role in the Wolverines’ run to the National Championship game, where they came up short against Louisville. He has played brief stints with the Knicks, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Dallas Mavericks, before he finally started with the Detroit Pistons in 2024.

Hardaway Jr. Excelled in the Postseason

In his first season with the Pistons, Tim Hardaway Jr. has already made some major waves in Detroit, with a warm welcome back from the fans in Michigan. On the season, Hardaway Jr. started in 77 games, and scored averages of 11.0 points per game, 2.4 rebounds per game, and 1.6 assists per game.

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In the six game playoff series against the Knicks, however, Hardaway Jr. really made his presence in Detroit known. In games one, three, and four, he had 19, 24, and 14 points, respectively. He had five rebounds in both games five and six, and though they eventually came up short, Hardaway Jr. sank a momentum-shifting three-point shot in the fourth quarter of game six to make it a one possession game.

It seems the State of Michigan may just be where Hardaway Jr. plays his best basketball. Ending his first season in Detroit with a bang, he has surely left Pistons fans feeling optimistic about the future of their team.

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