Tim Hardaway Jr. the new face on the Knicks

Tim Hardaway Jr. (5) playing defense /
Matthew D. Britt-flickr.com

Tim Hardaway Jr., a rookie shooting guard for the New York Knicks, was the 24th overall pick in the 2013-2014 NBA Draft. The Knicks were searching for a reliable scorer and felt that Hardaway Jr. could fill that position. After playing on the Knicks for a little more than half of the 2013-2014 season, he has shown that he can be a great offensive player and potentially be an All-Star.

Hardaway Jr. is an efficient scorer, and taking a look at his college stats when he played on the Michigan Wolverines, he averaged 14.3 points per game with a 50% two-point field goal rate. He gives the Knicks another scorer besides Carmelo Anthony, especially since the Knicks were plagued by injuries to Amare Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani for a good portion of the year.

Hardaway Jr. started the season slowly, but improved quickly. After the All-Star break, Hardaway Jr. averaged more than 10 ppg. He is becoming more comfortable with his position on the team and is taking more shots. His improvement over the course of the year has placed him among the top performing rookies this season.

Analyst Andy Bailey from Bleacher Report speculates that Tim Hardaway Jr. is a better shooting guard than J. R. Smith. He can score more efficiently than Smith, which furthers his case for increased minutes.

“He [Tim Hardaway Jr.] should be playing the more efficient 2 [Shooting Guard]”, Bailey said in a 2014 article from Bleacher Report.

Typical of a rookie, Hardaway Jr's season has been plagued by inconsistency. On the days where he did not score over 10 points, he is shooting close to 35%. It also seems like he finds it hard to contribute to anything else besides scoring. He averages only 1.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. He is going to need to work on his other offensive and defensive abilities for the next season if he wants to have a greater impact on the team.

“Tim isn’t your ordinary rookie. He’s a bit ahead of the game,” Mike Woodson said in a 2014 article from Metro.us. “Once he gets stronger, he’ll be even better on defense.”

Fortunately Hardaway Jr. has many years to work on his game. Hopefully, the Knicks will make the playoffs this season and have a good run with Hardaway Jr. getting some playoff experience to top off the end an encouraging rookie season.

Tom Brady, from adversity to applause

Tom Brady / Kieth Allison-flickr.com

Many professional athletes must overcome immense adversity throughout their career. One prime example is New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Apart from his three Super Bowl Championships and illustrious career, Brady struggled through much of his early years of football.

Brady didn't have the greatest college career, he actually had a mediocre run with the University of Michigan. His first two years he played as a backup to future NFL quarterback Brian Griese. He ended up as the seventh player on the depth chart and had to battle Drew Henson for a starting job, leading him to frustration and anxiety.

Greg Harden, a sports psychologist at the University of Michigan, was approached by young Brady. Brady said that Harden kicked him into a higher gear mentally.

“Your whole life, people have always told you how great you are as an athlete,” Brady said in a 2014 Detroit Free Press article. “He’s probably the first person in your life that says, ‘Well, you don’t deserve to really be on the field.’”

At the beginning of his junior year, Brady spent many hours studying film and practicing every throw on the field, something he would become known for in his later career. During his third year, he beat out Henson for the starting position and led the Wolverines to a 9-2 record in his senior year, en route to a victory against Alabama in the Orange Bowl, 34-33.

After two years of being overlooked, Brady changed his own life. He became the player that would be the first one to practice and the last one leaving the film room. Football went from a game he played, to what he loved. He was able to change his state of mind and become the calm and collected future Hall of Fame player he is today.

"He always believes there is someone behind him that is going to take his job," Temple University’s offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler says. "He is 34 years old and approaches the game like he just got drafted in the sixth round."