Buddy Hield improved in December, but it still might not be enough
New Orleans Pelicans rookie Buddy Hield had the best month of his still-starting NBA career last month. After shooting 26.5 percent from the perimeter in November, Hield bounced back by converting 48.4 percent of his looks from 3-point range in December.
He needs to improve other aspects of the game, as his defense remains shaky and his coach thinks he still needs work in the pick-and-roll, but finding his 3-point stroke is the best indicator that Hield finding his way in the NBA. He was rewarded for it, too, as he was named the Western Conference’s Rookie of the Month for December on Tuesday.
For the Pelicans, this is a good sign. When they drafted him No. 6 in the 2016 NBA Draft, the idea was that Hield could contribute and support Anthony Davis from day one. At 23, he came into the league as an older rookie and a more finished product. If Hield never developed into a well-rounded player, he could at least help Davis by spacing the floor at a high rate around him.
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As of today, the Pelicans are 14-22 on the season, good for 10th in the Western Conference. In December — with Jrue Holiday also back in the lineup after returning in late November — the Pelicans were okay. They won four games in a row at one point for their longest win streak to date. Most importantly, they rebounded after losing the first five games of the month. All things considered, Hield’s improvements and a 7-9 record in December were positive signs.
But here’s the problem: It doesn’t seem as if New Orleans actually got any better. Since Dec. 1, they have the league’s worst offensive rating. Take out their first game of 2017 — an ugly 90-82 performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers — and they only get bumped up to 28th.
The Denver Nuggets, by comparison, are fifth in offensive rating over that same span. The Sacramento Kings, without functional point guard play, are 19th. The Portland Trail Blazers, with Damian Lillard missing a few games due to ankle injury, are 18th. The Pelicans, basically, are an offensive level below the other teams competing for the West’s final playoff spot. And when Davis has an off night like he did against the Cavs, the team struggles to score at all.
For what it’s worth, Hield’s 4-6 performance from the perimeter in that Cavaliers game was one of the few bright spots.
The Pelicans’ defense, though, has been borderline top-10 since Dec. 1 — keeping them in the playoff hunt for now — and it would be foolish to count out a team that has Davis on it. The numbers he’s putting up this year are absurd. Without him, New Orleans would be in the bottom of the league with the likes of the Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns.
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The Pelicans’ struggles also shouldn’t paint Hield in a bad light. Even his biggest supporter wouldn’t have labeled him as an offensive savior. At best, he was considered guy whose ceiling is settling in as a good, useful role player. There’s nothing wrong with that — all teams need players who fill a complimentary role around their stars.
Besides, what Hield has done over the past month is exactly what the Pelicans need out of him. It just probably isn’t enough to make their offense as good as it might need to be for them to be the No. 8 seed.