The Golden State Warriors trading for Jimmy Butler makes Buddy Hield’s role more crucial than it’s been to date.
Warriors need Buddy Hield to be legitimate No. 3 option
The Warriors appear destined to roll with a starting lineup of Stephen Curry at point guard, along with Hield, Butler, Draymond Green, and either Trayce Jackson-Davis or Kevon Looney at center. Curry and Butler will be the team’s No. 1 and No. 2 options respectively, but after them, the Bahamian sniper will need to step up his game.
In order for Golden State to contend once more, Hield may need to raise his scoring average into the 16-20 point-per-game range. He currently boasts an average of 11.8 PPG — underwhelming for his standards.
The Oklahoma product is vital to the Warriors because of his lethal outside shooting abilities. That’s what may give him a leg-up over rising star Jonathan Kuminga when the latter returns from his ankle injury. Whether or not he was an elite marksman, the Dubs would struggle to ascend without a third bucket-getter that could follow the mold that most championship-level tertiary options have carved throughout history.
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Can Hield return to being a quality volume scorer?
History shows that Hield is more than capable of upping the ante in the scoring department. The 32-year-old’s 15.3 PPG career average and 15 games with 16-plus points this year prove that.
Hield is in the midst of a down campaign. However, with a revamped ensemble around him, he could find his stroke once more and be the X-factor that helps Golden State make a dark horse playoff run.
