Tim Hardaway Jr. Is Next New York Knick to Go Under Phil Jackson's Microscope

Tim Hardaway Jr.'s progression is being watched closely. 

The 22-year-old 6'6" shooting guard has had a volatile career thus far despite his offensive talent.

As the Knicks' best asset not named Carmelo Anthony, Phil Jackson may move the second-year player if he doesn't elevate his performance and find more consistency.

While Hardaway Jr. is talented and young, if he continues to struggle, his value will dwindle. 

Chance to Shine

With the departures of J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, Hardaway Jr. will take on more responsibility and will be given the opportunity to excel in a greater role.

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Hardaway Jr. is scoring 10.9 points per game, which is in line with his career average of 10.4, but his shooting numbers have been lousy and below par for his young career. He's knocking down only 38.4 percent of shots from the field and 32 percent of shots from the three-point line. 

He also hasn't been the most efficient player, sporting a player efficiency rating, via ESPN.com, of 11.87. 

With Carmelo Anthony essentially day-to-day and the shooting guard position depleted, Hardaway Jr. must take advantage of this opportunity and take things to a new level. 

In the new year, Hardaway Jr. is shooting a measly 34.8 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from beyond the arc.

If he can get on a roll and be more consistent, Hardaway Jr. will impact the team positively and see his win shares rise from the 0.2 he has this year to get closer to the 3.1 he contributed in 2013-14, via Basketball-Reference.com. 

If not, Hardaway Jr. may not be a Knick for much longer.

Why His Days Are Numbered

The advanced metrics do little to support keeping Hardaway Jr. while he holds some trade value.

Via Box Score Geeks, Hardaway Jr. has the least wins produced for the Knicks, checking in at negative 1.16. His adjusted production per 48 minutes is also second-worst at .02.

Hardaway Jr.'s effective field-goal percentage is the worst of all Knicks players at the 1, 2 and 3 with 46 percent. His value over replacement player, via Basketball-Reference.com, is negative 1.1 in comparison to the negative 0.1 he had in 2013-14.

The Knicks missed out on cashing in on Shumpert's value earlier in his career and traded Shump for barely anything at all. If Hardaway Jr. continues regressing, he might not net much in a trade despite his youth and potential. 

For Hardaway Jr. to remain with the Knicks, he'll need to take advantage of the chance he has now to showcase his skills and leadership and display some consistency.

If he fails to capitalize on this opportunity, he'll be shipped out while general managers still think he can become a well-rounded player in this league. 

Trading Hardaway Jr. could also help the Knicks create more cap space by packaging him with Jose Calderon, as mentioned by Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal:

"Given Jose Calderon’s disappointing start with the team, it wouldn’t be a shock if the Knicks shopped the point guard and the $15 million left on his deal, while also promising any taker the rights to Tim Hardaway Jr.’s manageable contract. Such a deal would create considerably more cap space."

With the Knicks being one of the NBA's worst teams, only Carmelo Anthony is untouchable.

If an offer comes along that puts the franchise in a better position moving forward, regardless of how tantalizing Hardaway Jr.'s potential may be, Jackson will consider parting with the youngster in order to improve New York over the long haul.