Sacramento Kings: Buddy Hield should start, but should he finish?

Buddy Hield should probably be starting for the Sacramento Kings when play resumes. But the real question is, should he be a part of the crunch-time lineup?

One of the players who has something to prove for the Sacramento Kings during the league’s restart in Orlando is Buddy Hield.

The last 12-plus months have been quite a ride for the fourth year sharpshooter. Hield enjoyed one of the best 3-point shooting seasons in NBA history during the 2018-19 campaign and was rewarded with a lucrative contract extension during the ensuing offseason.

A coaching change that would supposedly help his situation actually made things worse from a statistical standpoint, as Hield’s numbers have dipped across the board since the arrival of Luke Walton.

Then there was the decision to move Hield to the bench in favor of Bogdan Bogdanovic. While Hield was predictably not thrilled with the situation, it was a move that seemingly turned the Kings’ season around and allowed them to make the playoff push they are looking to capitalize on.

There is plenty of speculation about what Walton plans to do with his lineups and rotations, for which he has a plethora of options. Should Hield be moved back to the starting lineup? Perhaps, and it could be made possible without causing a huge shakeup.

Hield can play his natural position of shooting guard while Bogdanovic can move to small forward, where he has played 57 percent of his career minutes. Harrison Barnes would scoot down to power forward, a position that he was in 82 percent of the time during his final season with the Dallas Mavericks. Throw De’Aaron Fox and Richaun Holmes on the front and back ends and the Kings would be starting the five best players on their roster.

While the debate will linger until the ball tips on July 31, Sacramento’s coaching staff could be facing an even bigger conundrum when it comes to closing out games.

The Kings have just eight games to make their playoff push, and most predictions have them needing to go 6-2 just to have a chance. Each game is going to be crucial, and the team can not afford to have avoidable mistakes that affect their late-game performances.

Removing Buddy Hield from the crunch-time lineup might go a long way in that respect.

More from Hoops Habit

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers

Dating back to last season under then-coach Dave Joerger, Hield often struggled during the closing minutes of close contests. Not only had shot selection been a problem, but turnovers and questionable decisions also factored into his troubles. Then there was the infamous dispute with Joerger in the fourth quarter of a late-season game against the Golden State Warriors.

Things didn’t change much under Walton. Hield’s usage rate increased during the early-season absence of Fox, and the decision to make Hield the primary ball handler in certain situations was detrimental to the team, especially in the fourth quarter.

Aside from Fox, no King committed more fourth-quarter turnovers than Hield (33). The next highest was Bogdanovic (23). Walton has taken notice and has benched Hield down the stretch on multiple occasions. A decision like that never sits well with Hield, and he took to the media more than once earlier this season to voice his frustration with the lack of trust.

There are plenty of arguing points for reasons Hield should be a mainstay in the late-going, too. He has single-handedly shot the Kings back into games that looked lost and is lethal from beyond the arc if his confidence is rolling. One of the most important tasks for Walton will be to decide whether Hield has a hot enough hand to offset the potential for mistakes.

A far more important decision awaits the Sacramento Kings outside of the bubble. Bogdanovic is due for a contract extension and will become a restricted free agent if he doesn’t receive it. Can the team afford to fork out the cash for both players who play similar positions? Is Bogdanovic a better long-term investment?

The final eight (and hopefully more) games of the season might show us all that we need to know.