NBA Awards Rankings: New No. 1 in Sixth Man of the Year race

The Dallas Mavericks are 9-3, with a night-and-day feel compared to last season's depressing 11th-place team. Luka Doncic is in the MVP race, of course. Jason Kidd deserves credit for the adjustments made. Dereck Lively has been one of the best rookies in the NBA. Kyrie Irving had a full offseason to get familiar with the system. Grant Williams has been a huge positive boost.

And yet, despite all those positive developments, it's impossible to overlook Tim Hardaway Jr.'s best basketball in years. It's still early, but the 31-year-old has been on a heater offensively. He's averaging 18.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on .441/.402/.906 splits in 27.8 minutes per game. The Mavs prefer to start defense over offense with Derrick Jones Jr. in the first five, but Hardaway is the finisher. He is on track for career highs in 3-point volume (9.3 per game) and efficiency.

The Mavs obviously benefit from such a dynamic weapon behind the 3-point line. Hardaway's shot versatility allows him to step into a variety of different looks, with Doncic operating as one of the league's most prolific table-setters. Defenses will naturally collapse on the Mavs' high-octane guards, allowing Hardaway plenty of space to shoot himself into a rhythm. He's also valuable as a second-unit engine with occasional utility as a driver and pull-up shooter when Dallas' stars rest.

He's never going to be a great defender or a particularly advanced playmaker, but Hardaway has been an essential points machine for the NBA's second-ranked offense. Hardaway has dealt with injuries and an apparent decline in recent years, so it's nice to see him get back to full speed for a Dallas team determined to get back in the title hunt.