Sacramento Kings: Buddy Hield is emerging as a star for the promising Kings
By Quinn Allen
Buddy Hield is having a career season so far this season, leading the Sacramento Kings with 20.5 points per game as they look to make their first playoff appearance in 12 years
It’s been quite the year for Buddy Hield. During the 2017-18 campaign, the former Oklahoma Sooner appeared in 80 games but started just 12 of those contests, averaging 13.5 points per night. Fast forward to this year, and the fourth-year guard is one of the biggest reasons the Sacramento Kings currently sit in playoff contention.
Hield has started all 57 games this season, averaging over 20 points a game and sitting fourth in the NBA with an impressive 44.9 3-point percentage. He’s sinking a career-high 3.4 3’s per game on 7.6 attempts per night. He’s also been very good when it comes to collecting boards. Hield is averaging 5.1 rebounds per game, which is pretty good for his position.
Key to Sacramento’s success
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If you are quick to doubt whether the Kings could make the playoffs this year, Buddy Hield is the complete opposite.
"[via ESPN]The Kings, mired in the NBA’s longest postseason drought at 12 years, won’t miss the playoffs this season, Hield says.“Very confident. I’d bet my house on it,” Hield told reporters Wednesday. “I make a lot of money to buy the next one.”"
Confidence. It’s clearly a huge part of Hield’s whole game, evident by that comment. He has the belief in himself and his teammates that they can break their 12-year postseason drought. With a solid young core that includes players like De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley, along with veterans like newly acquired Harrison Barnes, Sacramento has a legitimate team.
Back to Hield.
He has been absolutely lethal from downtown this year. It doesn’t matter if it’s a pull-up 3 or a wide open look, he is sinking them at a crazy high rate. Hield was the best scorer in college basketball his draft year in 2016, but took some time to really get comfortable at the NBA level. This has been his year where he has totally broken out as one of the most important pieces of this Kings team.
I’m sure Sacramento is ecstatic they acquired Hield from the New Orleans Pelicans in the DeMarcus Cousins trade a couple years back because he’s really blossomed into a great player.
He’s currently in the talks as one of the best shooters in the league because of how efficient he’s been from downtown. Hield has already surpassed his previous high of 3-pointers in a season with 196 this campaign just halfway through the year.
He made 176 3’s through all of last season. It’s not like he stands around waiting for open looks either. The 26-year-old does a great job of moving around and getting in a good spot around the perimeter to get a good look. He’s got a very quick release and has shown the ability to even hit shots from downtown with a hand in his face.
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Hield has received the opportunity to start on a nightly basis this year for the Sacramento Kings and he has taken full advantage. He is definitely one of the building blocks of this franchise and is a leader for this young team.
He’ll be a huge part of the Kings in this second half as they look to hold off the Los Angeles Lakers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.