Jaden Hardy does not make NBA’s All-Rookie team

Jaden Hardy did not make one of the NBA’s two All-Rookie teams, as the NBA announced both teams Monday afternoon.

Hardy received four second place votes, placing him far behind a chance at sneaking onto the second team. No second round or undrafted players made an All-Rookie team this season. Dallas selected Hardy with the 37th pick of the 2022 NBA draft, trading into the spot after having no picks entering the draft.

This is not to discount Hardy’s rookie season, which was definitely successful. After sliding in the 2022 draft after a disastrous stint in the G-League, going straight from high school, Hardy developed nicely for the Mavericks this past season. He started on the bench and out of the rotation, got some time mid-season in the G-League, put up great numbers, and then slowly got better with the Mavericks as injuries and bad play forced the coaching staff to get Hardy into more games.

Hardy ended up playing in 48 games, averaging almost 15 minutes per game and shooting just over 40 percent from three. With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving dealing with injuries, Hardy had a prolific March: he averaged 15.6 points in 23.5 minutes per game, playing 11 games, and shooting 45 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three. He carried that over into April, despite the return of both Irving and Doncic. Less playing time didn’t hamper Hardy’s production, as he still shot 46.2 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three in five games.

Despite the Mavericks disappointing season, Hardy was a clear bright spot. Even without a rookie team selection, the Mavericks have found a building block for their future.