| Once the No. 4 prospect in the high school Class of 2021 (per the 247Sports composite) -- behind only Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero and Shaedon Sharpe -- Hardy took the G League Ignite path instead of college. |
| He isn't the most well-known name in this draft as a result, and his 2021-22 season was far from perfect. But the shooting guard will make a general manager picking in the middle of the first round very happy. |
| Hardy averaged 17.7 points and 3.2 assists per game for the Ignite last season. He profiles as a ready-made iso scorer who has room to grow his game in a number of other areas. |
| Strengths: Thrives in isolation. Creates his own shots off the dribble. Attacks the rim and pulls up. Creates space. Good ball handler, with potential to lead a pick-and-roll offense. Solid size and frame for his position at 6-foot-4. Upside on defense, where he averaged 1.3 steals per game. Shot a terrific 88.2 percent from the foul line for the Ignite. |
| Weaknesses: Promising but inconsistent 3-point shooter. He shot 26.9 percent from long range for the Ignite. Might be just a volume scorer. Decision-making needs work, particularly in shot selection; could have been a more efficient scorer for the Ignite if not for that. The same goes for off-the-court decisions. He and his brother and teammate Amauri Hardy were suspended for two games last November after being caught violating COVID-19 protocol. |
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