FATHER TIME
Hardaway Sr. in Junior’s corner amid injury woes
His father sees Tim Hardaway Jr. as a future All-Star.
As such, Tim Hardaway Sr., the former Heat All-Star point guard and now a Pistons assistant, said he was “upset” at the vicious reaction last July after the Knicks inked his son to a four-year, $71 million deal.
While Hardaway Jr. is rehabbing from a stress injury to his lower left leg, he has proven his worth as a secondary scoring option to Kristaps Porzings and two-way force. Hardaway Sr. was taken aback by the fan and media outcry.
“I’m looking at it as you’re not giving him a chance,” Hardaway Sr. told The Post on Friday before the Knicks’ 104-101 loss in Detroit. “You’re writing him off right then and there. Most people hadn’t lookedlooke at him, what he did with Atlanta, howhow mmuch he got better and what he got better aat.”
The elder HardaHardaway felt the media wwasn’t giving the Knicks bbrass enough credit for ttheir research. After all, the Knicks scouts were doinging cartwheels wwhen they drafted him in the first round in 2013 before Phil Jackson came in and took a ddisliking to the former Michigan star.
“The Knicks loolooked at everything,’’ Hardaway Sr. said. “They looked at film from all 82 games bbefore they knew what they wanted to do wwith Tim. They looked at his playoffs [in AAtlanta]. The fans, the media wrote him offof before he even went out and played. That’sTh what I was upset about. You don’t givgive him a chance to go out there and dodo whatwha he’s supposed to do. Give him a chance aand then go from there. “Just don’t shoshoot him down because you’re looklooking at the money. Becausecause ththat’s all you’re looking at. You’reY not looking at hihis game and how he ggot better. You’re look- ing at his money and you don’t have to because everyone is getting paid [well] in this business. And Tim worked his tail off to get paid.”
In averaging 17.8 points per game, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists, Hardaway Jr. has thrilled the Knicks coaching staff.
“I see him as potential All-Star,’’ Hardaway Sr. said. “A guy who can be the man for their team or one of the men for their team. You got to have three guys on a team to be successful. They’re missing him right now for that third guy — him, Courtney Lee, Kristaps Porzingis. They’re missing his scoring of course, but his rebounding, length, athleticism. They know that.”
Hardaway Jr. has been out 2 ½ weeks with either a stress reaction or stress fracture. The Knicks say he will be reevaluated next week. But Hardaway Sr. is afraid of him rushing back.
When asked if he could make his return in a couple of weeks, Hardaway Sr. preached caution.
“You got to make sure it’s 110 percent healthy that injury,’’ Hardaway Sr. said. “I’ve been talking to doctors, reading up. The main thing is you got to come back healthy. It can’t be nothing in there that could go this way or that way. You got to be 100 percent healthy, and then you start doing basketball activities. I told him, ‘Don’t come back until you’re 1,000 percent healthy. If you hurt yourself again, you’re hurting your team.’ ”
After a first-team All-Rookie campaign, Jackson arrived, didn’t feel Hardaway Jr. was a triangle player or intense defender and moved him after one season.
“Him leaving was a blessing in disguise,” Hardaway Sr. said.
The ex-Heat guard who battled against Jackson’s triangle during the Bulls’ glory days is happy Jeff Hornacek is running more of a fast-paced attack.
“The whole situation was weird,” Hardaway Sr. said. “Not just with my son. Everything that was going on — every day was a saga, a soap opera. It was unfortunate it happened to those guys. [Getting traded] let him understand what he needs to do to be a complete ballplayer. That’s what coach [Mike Budenholzer] did and Tim put the New York saga behind him and looked forward.”
Hardaway Sr. said he likes that Junior has become a team leader.
“He’s out there being more vocal, being a more leader-type person, trying to get guys to buy into the defense,” Hardaway Sr. said.
On the final three empty possessions Friday, the Knicks missed Hardaway Jr. most.
“He’s giving them another dimension out there as a playmaker, making the extra pass,” Hardaway Sr. said. “I think Hornacek is doing a great job running plays, running plays for particular guys. They’re running the best offense they can run. What to say about the triangle, I don’t know. But it’s a great story. Things happen for a reason.”