October 26th 2024.
Following an impressive victory by the Warriors in their season opener against Portland, Buddy Hield took a moment to reflect on what it means to be a part of such a talented team. Playing alongside the legendary Steph Curry, whom he has admired since he was a young boy, and being a part of the Warriors' renowned system, has been a dream come true for Hield.
"I don't want to bring up the past," Hield shared, "but the last time I felt this free was when I was playing in Oklahoma. My teammates were always looking out for me, passing me the ball and setting me up for success. It was so much fun, I have to admit."
This admission must have come as a shock to the other 29 teams in the league. During his time at Oklahoma, Hield was a force to be reckoned with. As a senior, he was named the Consensus National Player of the Year, dominating the court with his incredible range and relentless movement.
And now, it's safe to say that the same Hield is here in Golden State.
In their first game, Hield led the Warriors with 22 points, and in their second game, he scored a game-high 27 points, sinking an impressive seven out of nine 3-pointers. In just 35 minutes of playing time as a Warrior, he has already racked up 49 points.
"It's like watching the Buddy from Oklahoma again," remarked Draymond Green after Hield's second stellar performance in Utah.
If the Warriors can continue to tap into the Oklahoma Buddy and utilize him in 20 minutes per game, they will have one of the most lethal weapons coming off the bench in the league. With his unmatched shooting abilities (leading the NBA in 3-point makes since 2019) and his impressive speed and agility (second only to Steph Curry), Hield is a valuable asset to the Warriors.
When the Warriors acquired Hield in a six-team trade that sent Klay Thompson to Dallas, they had an idea of what they were getting. But they could have never predicted this version of Hield, and they certainly didn't expect him to fit in so seamlessly with the veteran players in the Warriors' locker room.
Already, despite being the new guy, Hield has brought a contagious energy to the team. He livens up shootarounds, organizes team dinners, keeps his teammates laughing on the bench, and embodies the selflessness that Coach Steve Kerr expects from his team.
According to Hield's college coach, Lon Kruger, this is exactly the kind of player Hield was at Oklahoma. "Extremely positive, high energy every day," Kruger recalled. "He always came to practice with great enthusiasm, and he was a great influence on his teammates. He was a joy to coach and was always focused on winning as a team and helping his teammates improve every day."
Even with all the success and recognition during his time at Oklahoma, Hield remained humble and grounded. As a senior, he averaged an impressive 25 points per game and shot 45.7% from 3-point range, coming close to breaking Curry's single-season record from his time at Davidson.
The only current Warrior who witnessed the Oklahoma Buddy phenomenon in person was Kevon Looney. Early in the 2014 season, Looney's UCLA team faced off against Hield's Sooners at Hield's home court in Atlantis. It was a game to remember.
"He kicked our ass," Looney recalled. "It was like his coming-out party."
Looney had heard whispers about the talented player from the Bahamas before the game, but he didn't really know who Hield was. Despite not being a highly recruited player (originally from the Bahamas and doing a prep year in Oklahoma), Hield made a name for himself during his time at Oklahoma and started his college career with two outstanding seasons.
During the game, Looney quickly got acquainted with Hield's impressive skills as he led the Sooners to a 75-65 victory, even giving NBA-caliber defenders like Norman Powell a run for their money. Hield scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half, including a sizzling 90-second flurry that secured the win for the Sooners.
"He was doing the same thing he's doing now," Looney said. "Shooting from everywhere, constantly moving without the ball. His shot-making was incredible in college. It was really tough to stop him."
And now, in the Warriors' first two games of the season, Hield has been showcasing the same skills and abilities that Looney saw in him that day. He's been running off flare screens, working with Curry on two-man plays, and making contested 30-footers look effortless. His corner 3-pointers are as reliable as layups, and his speed forces the defense to either commit to him on the perimeter or leave the driving lanes open.
In their game against Utah, Hield also demonstrated an expanded floor game, with six assists and four rebounds. Two of his passes were particularly impressive - a behind-the-head kickout to Andrew Wiggins for a 3-pointer and a left-handed hook pass to Curry on the wing for another triple.
Hield has been working on that particular pass since he was a kid, and his coaches used to scold him for attempting it. But after years of practice and building strength, he can now execute the difficult move with ease.
"I actually got it from watching Curry, low-key," Hield shared.
To start the season, Hield has made an impressive 12 out of 16 3-point attempts. While it's unlikely for him to maintain a 75% success rate throughout the season, his impact in the role previously held by Thompson looks promising and sustainable.
With a plus-minus of 22.5, Hield is currently ranked fourth in the NBA, and in the 24 minutes that he and Curry have played together, the Warriors have outscored their opponents by a whopping 79.3 points per 100 possessions - the best two-man combination on the team.
When Hield says that playing for the Warriors feels like playing in Oklahoma, he's referring to the fast-paced, team-oriented style of play. He's talking about how his teammates seek him out on the perimeter, and how he returns the favor. Everyone puts their egos aside and plays the right way, following the lead of Curry, Green, and Kerr.
While not everything revolves around him like it did in Norman, the Warriors' style of play empowers Hield in a different way.
"You don't have to try so hard," Hield explained. "You know that your teammates are sacrificing and playing unselfishly. When you're on a team like that, good things always happen. My teammates trust me to shoot the ball, but I also look for opportunities to set them up. It's just a natural flow."
It's clear that Hield has had to press in the past, despite his impressive 3-point shooting record (over 200 in six consecutive seasons). He has bounced around from team to team, from New Orleans to Sacramento to Indiana to Philadelphia. But now, it seems like he has finally found his home with the Warriors.
"Buddy's energy is just different every day," said center Trayce Jackson-Davis. "He loves being here and coming to work. He's always running and shooting 3s. This is probably the best situation for him because that's all he has to do. We love him, and we're glad he's on our team."
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