A Royal Pain
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Buddy Hield Deserves More Credit In Sacramento Kings’ Success

By Gurjus Singh

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 28: Buddy Hield of the Sacramento Kings looks on during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on March 28, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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. (Photo by Cassy Athena/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 28: Buddy Hield of the Sacramento Kings looks on during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on March 28, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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. (Photo by Cassy Athena/Getty Images) /
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The Sacramento Kings’ rebuild has been successful so far, and Buddy Hield has been a big reason why.

The Sacramento Kings’ 2018-19 campaign was pretty successful compared to their previous 13 seasons. The last time Sacramento won 38 games or more happened during the 2007-08 season when the team still had Mike Bibby.

Last year’s success happened mainly due to the season Buddy Hield had with the Kings. Entering his third year, Buddy broke out into one of the best perimeter shooters in the game as he averaged around 21 points while making 46% of his shots from the floor and 43% of his shots from beyond the arc. Buddy even broke the NBA record for most three-pointers made by a player in his first three years by making a whopping 602 shots from the area.

Buddy Hield Does Not Stop

Not only was Buddy great at shooting the ball from the perimeter, but also was effective in moving without the ball in his hands. Based on the statistics, Buddy averaged almost 2.7 miles per game which were one of the reasons why the Kings were successful in running the fast-paced offense last year.

Buddy Hield Already Loves Luke

A reason why we should expect Buddy to continue to thrive is because of Luke Walton. When the new coach stated in his introductory press conference that the Kings were going to shoot a lot of threes going forward, Buddy was probably licking his chops. By this statement, it seems like Walton is giving Buddy the green light and the confidence that he will take advantage of it.

New Goals For Buddy Hield

Buddy Hield said something interesting during an interview with Grant Napear and Doug Christie during the team’s summer league campaign, saying his goal is to get to the free-throw line more next season.

This is one aspect of the game that Buddy needs to get better in. In comparison,  James Harden averaged 11 free-throw attempts per game compared to Buddy that only averaged around two attempts. If Buddy figures out more ways to get to the charity stripe, he could see his points average increase up to the 24-25 range.

Another way Buddy can be a more productive scorer is by improving his ball-handling skills. If successful, it will give him more opportunities to create his own shot rather than having to rely on his teammates to set him up for scores.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Buddy Hield has played a big part in how the Kings have handled their rebuild so far and will continue to be a core piece in their future. If he can improve his game to the next level, it will for sure increase the Kings’ chances of achieving their goal in making the playoffs next season.

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