Hield isn’t Klay, nor does he have to be for Warriors

Hield isn’t Klay, nor does he have to be for Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Splash Brothers are no more. The Splash Step Brothers are never, and neither are the Splash Buddies.

Buddy Hield isn’t Klay Thompson, and he doesn’t have to try and replicate a franchise legend to be a smart signing by the Warriors. And a corny nickname created for quote-unquote content isn’t needed for him to make an impact.

The Warriors on Thursday acquired Hield in a sign-and-trade with the Philadelphia 76ers, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported, citing sources. In return, the Warriors are sending a 2031 second-round draft pick from the Dallas Mavericks for Hield.

What Hield does best is what the Warriors will miss most from Thompson’s departure to Dallas: Shooting, especially from 3.

Hield isn’t a ball handler and he isn’t going to make your defense better. There will be times where he makes frustrating turnovers and shows a lack of decision-making. The eight-year veteran also just received two DNPs (Did Not Play) for the 76ers in their playoff loss in the first round to the New York Knicks. And?

Nobody will ask Hield to save the day. His role is expected to be what the Warriors most likely wanted out of Thompson, perhaps to a lesser degree. Go get three points on the scoreboard. Steve Kerr’s message to his newest sharpshooter should be quite simple.

A reasonable expectation for Hield is to play anywhere between 18 and 25 minutes per game, a season after averaging 25.7 between Philadelphia and the Indiana Pacers. Another reasonable expectation is for him to continue making plenty of 3-pointers.

Nobody has made more 3-pointers than Hield over the last five seasons. The newest Warrior has made 1,322 in that span, and his superstar teammate Steph Curry is second with 1,264. Hield also has the advantage of playing 126 more games than Curry in the past five years.

Even in a down season by his standards, Hield shot 38.6 percent beyond the arc. But he shot 42.5 from three the previous season and is a 40.0-percent career 3-point shooter. Half his career has ended with him finishing second in 3-pointers…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/hield-isnt-klay-nor-does-155831798.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-07-05 15:58:31

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