Five reasons Buddy Hield is perfect for the New Orleans Pelicans

By Ian Levy | Jun 24, 2016

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) shows off the inside of his jacket after being selected as the number six overall pick to the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mar 18, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) shoots over Portland Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8) and forward Noah Vonleh (21) during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Spacing, spacing, spacing

Last season was a difficult year for Anthony Davis. After breaking out during the 2014-15 season he was projected by many to be a possible MVP candidate. Instead, as the roster around him succumbed to injury after injury, his true shooting percentage, free throw rate, turnover percentage, and assist rate all got worse. The Pelicans offense managed respectability, in large part because of the individual talents of Davis, but it was often a grind in the half-court.

What makes Hield special, first and foremost is his shooting — he made 147 three-pointers last season. No one on the Pelicans roster made that many last season, even across an 82-game season. Hield’s shooting offers the potential for a lot more pressure on the defense and a lot more open space in the middle of the floor for Davis and (if healthy) Tyreke Evans to work.

The Pelicans’ two best three-point shooters last season (by total threes made) were Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon. According to NBAWowy, when Davis was on the floor with both of those players, his true shooting percentage was 57.2 percent, compared to 51.8 percent when they were both on the bench. Hield’s shooting will go along way towards making Davis’ life easier.

Next: 3. Can attack off the dribble

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