Sacramento Kings: The Early Returns Of Buddy Hield

Through his first few weeks with the Sacramento Kings, Buddy Hield has made a solid first impression showcasing his dynamic shooting potential, along with sporting a few concerns as well.

In just a matter of weeks, the focus has turned to the future for the Sacramento Kings.

Following the aftermath of the DeMarcus Cousins trade, the Kings have taken the nosedive everyone expected following the All-Star break.

After their victory over the Denver Nuggets to start the second half of the year, the Kings went on an eight-game losing skid before finally getting an elusive victory over the Orlando Magic Monday night.

This time, though, has given us our first extended look at Buddy Hield in a Kings uniform, who was acquired as a centerpiece in the aforementioned Cousins trade.

Sacramento Kings /

Sacramento Kings

Despite just being with his new team for three weeks, Hield has acclimated very quickly to his new surroundings and his overall play has now helped him break through into the starting lineup, for which he has gotten the nod over the last three games.

Averaging 14.2 points per game in his 10 games with the Kings, Hield has been electric shooting the ball from all areas of the floor, displaying the potential that made him a coveted prospect just only a year ago.

Of course, the first thing that stands out is his three-point shooting and hitting 24-of-49 (49 percent) from deep hasn’t dampened the excitement over his long range potential.

Whereas his three-point shooting was more or less expected, Hield’s ability to finish at the rim has been a surprise to see so far, considering how he struggled doing so earlier in the year with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Yes, it’s an incredibly small sample size to go off of as Hield’s just 12-of-17 on shots within the restricted area, but the crafty finishes he’s shown, whether it’s driving or cutting to the basket, gives some hope that his early season finishing was just a blip on the radar.

For as encouraging as his shooting has been, however, there has been one concern for Hield that has been tough to ignore throughout his brief time with the Kings so far.

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While not a primary playmaker when on the floor, Hield has been awfully turnover prone in his handful of games with the Kings, regularly coughing up the ball whenever a double team comes bolting his way.

Due to his reputation as a shooter, Hield is already well respected by defenders, but his rudimentary ball skills have given opposing teams something to exploit, especially when a play looks to be breaking down.

The numbers back that up too, as Hield is sporting an 18.6 percent turnover ratio as well as a lowly .41 assist-to-turnover ratio since coming to Sacramento, per NBA.com/stats.

At this point, it feels like a certainty that Hield’s ball handling will be a point of emphasis for him during his training throughout the offseason. Hopefully, with more reps between now and the end of the year, that doesn’t stand out as glaring of a weakness for him as it does right now.

All in all, Hield’s first few weeks in Sacramento have gone smoothly, at least on an individual basis. Hield’s seized on his fresh start and with the sound first impression he’s given, we’ve already seen him get handed a bigger opportunity to develop on the court.

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Given the outlook of the team right now, that seems like music to everyone’s ears across the Kings fan base.

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