Sacramento Kings: 5 reasons to be excited for 2018-19 NBA season
By Amaar Burton
3. It’s time for Buddy Hield to break out
College basketball’s consensus national Player of the Year in 2016 is now entering his third NBA season and will turn 25 years old by the end of 2018.
It’s still too early to make a judgment call on Hield’s pro career. At the same time, this feels like the moment for him to show whether he’s on his way to becoming a star in the league, a standout or just another guy on a roster.
Last season, Hield averaged 13.5 points per game while hitting 44.6 percent of his shots from the field and 43.1 percent from 3-point range. Even though he mostly came off the bench, he was second on the team in scoring and led the Kings in total 3-pointers (176) and steals (85).
Those are solid scoring numbers for a sixth man, similar to the outputs of fellow second unit snipers Terry Rozier of the Boston Celtics and Marco Belinelli of the Philadelphia 76ers, who played significant roles on playoff teams.
Hield is penciled in as a starter going into 2018-19 with Bogdan Bogdanovic sidelined. He could contend for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. As the most prolific shooter in Sacramento, he should have every opportunity to at least establish himself as a big-time player in the league.