Things took a turn for Buddy Hield last February, when he was sent to the Sacramento Kings as part of the deal that brought DeMarcus Cousins to New Orleans. To that point, Hield had been something of a disappointment in his rookie season — averaging 15.1 points per 36 minutes but shooting just 41.7 percent on 2-pointers and 36.9 percent on 3-pointers.
Hield was expected to be somewhat limited as a defender and off-the-dribble creator so his appeal as a draft prospect was almost entirely tied to his 3-point shooting ability. As a college senior, Hield made 45.7 percent of his 3-pointers, on nearly nine attempts per game.
Upon arriving in Sacramento, Hield gave us our first extended look at him lighting up defenses in the NBA, and over his last 25 games he scored 18.7 points per 36 minutes, shooting 52.5 percent on 2-pointers and 42.8 percent on 3-pointers. Even if he doesn’t develop any further in other areas, and can simply maintain those scoring percentages on that volume, Hield would be useful as a perimeter scoring option on a very good team. Becoming a true offensive star means taking a step forward with his shooting.
Digging into the splits on Hield’s 3-point shooting shows that his success was mostly of the catch-and-shoot variety — he made 41.7 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s across the entire season, compared to just 34.3 percent of his pull-ups. Hield made 37 percent of his pull-up 3s as a college senior and approaching that number would unlock all sorts of offensive possibilities.
Hield was in the 12th percentile last season scoring as the ball-handler in the pick-and-roll. He wasn’t particularly effective overall on drives either, logging just 2.6 drives per game and shooting 42.6 percent on those drives. It’s no surprise that some of the best in the league at hitting 3-pointers off the dribble — CJ McCollum, Goran Dragic, Kyle Lowry, Isaiah Thomas, etc. — also happen to be very effective scoring on drives and particularly on the pick-and-roll. The threat of being able to pull-up behind a high screen and drain a 3-pointer draws a more aggressive style of pick-and-roll defense, one that is then more vulnerable to penetration.
Hield was a solid pull-up shooter from inside the arc last season and he shot 64.7 percent in the restricted area after being traded to Sacramento. He may never be an elite finisher but he certainly has the size and touch to be respectable. For Hield to become a true, three-level scoring threat with the ball in his hands, he has to be dangerous enough off the dribble behind the arc to draw out the defense and open up the middle of the floor for himself.
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The Sacramento Kings are still looking for the next star to build around. It might be the versatile and athletic Skal Labissiere. It might be the explosive De’Aaron Fox. And, if he can start hitting his pull-up 3s, it might just be Buddy Hield.
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