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Sacramento Kings: 3 Goals For Buddy Hield In The New Season

By Rafe Wong

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 1: Buddy Hield #24 of the Sacramento Kings shoots the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 1, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 1: Buddy Hield #24 of the Sacramento Kings shoots the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 1, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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After coming off a good sophomore season, what should the goals be for Sacramento Kings’ guard Buddy Hield during his 2018-2019 campaign?

After the first season of the Sacramento Kings’ rebuild concluded, there were not a lot of positives to take away from it. But second-year player Buddy Hield was one of the diamonds in the rough.

During his sophomore season, Buddy took a step forward in his game. He established himself as a three-point marksman, was one of the top scorers for the purple and white, and showed the ability to be at least a decent defender.

Many expect Buddy to become one of the main guys for the Kings this upcoming season, and I am sure Buddy expects it from himself as well. With that being said, what are some realistic goals for Hield to focus on this year?

Continue Perimeter Success

I know, I know. Buddy has already shown he is a great three-point shooter based on last season’s performance. So why does he have to make it a goal this year?

Well, I am sure the Kings and their fans hope Buddy continues to be the sharpshooter he was. Last season, Buddy made 43.1% of his shots from beyond the arc which is a very high percentage for any NBA player let alone a second-year pro.

In my opinion, I would consider Buddy’s shooting to be a success this season if he records similar shooting numbers to his sophomore year. That means he would add another season shooting the ball at a high rate which will give him and his fans the confidence that he can become one of the top NBA shooters in the near future.

Improve Ball-Handling Skills

Buddy has the chance to become THE Kings’ top scorer next season, but he needs to learn how to create his own shot effectively. The way for him to improve in this aspect of the game is by being a better handling with the basketball.

To no surprise, Hield shot the ball better when being assisted by his teammates. Based on last season’s stats, he recorded a 77.3% clip from beyond the arc when assisted while making just 22.7% of his threes when unassisted. Buddy did, however, make 55.8% of his two-pointers when unassisted which was better than his 44.2% clip when assisted.

For Buddy to take that next step in his offensive game, his ball-handling skills need to improve this upcoming year. Not to say he needs to dribble like Stephen Curry, but he definitely needs to enhance his dribbling in order to be more effective when creating his own shot.

Related Story. 3 Bold Predictions for Buddy Hield. light

Win The Starting Job

For the majority of last season, Buddy’s role with the Kings was being the first man off their bench. And although I thought Buddy did an exceptional job as the team’s sixth man, he should make it a goal to become the starting shooting guard for the upcoming year.

The guy that will probably be Hield’s main competition for the two-guard spot will be Bogdan Bogdanovic. Although Bogdan is a good player himself, I think Buddy has a good chance of beating him out to begin the upcoming season.

If Buddy is able to continue making threes and shows the energy on the defensive end, it should be enough to influence Dave Joerger and the coaching staff that he should be a starter on opening night.

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