Buddy Hield could prove a major beneficiary of Kon Knueppel's hamstring injury, with the former Golden State Warriors guard looking to revive his NBA career after being traded to the Charlotte Hornets earlier this week.
The Hornets announced on Friday that both Knueppel and Grant Williams have suffered hamstring injuries that will see the pair miss all of preseason, before being re-evaluated in the first week of the regular season next month.
Kon Knueppel injury opens door for Buddy Hield to get rotation minutes
Charlotte offers Hield a fresh opportunity after he was out of the Atlanta Hawks' rotation at the end of last season, having been traded by the Warriors at February's mid-season deadline following a year and a half at the franchise.
However, the presence of Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Grayson Allen and other guard/wing options seemed to put a major roadblock in front of Hield and his chances of earning rotation minutes. With Knueppel now set to miss the start of the season, the biggest part of that roadblock has been removed for the time being.
Charles Lee and the Hornets may now genuinely need Hield's 3-point shooting threat, with Knueppel incredibly leading the league in 3-pointers made last season in his rookie year. Not only did the former fourth overall pick make 273 threes, but he did so on an efficient 42.5% shooting.
The injury comes in the wake of Charlotte trading star guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves this offseason, with the 25-year-old ranking second behind Knueppel in 3-pointers made not just at the Hornets, but across the entire league last season.
Hornets suddenly need Buddy Hield to rediscover 3-point shooting
With Ball's departure and now Knueppel's injury, there's a strong case that the Hornets now really need Hield's shooting to ensure they maintain their volume early after ranking only behind the Warriors in 3-point attempts per game last season.
Hield can certainly get 3-point shots up, but whether he can return to being an efficient shooter is a major question mark. The 33-year-old's 37% from beyond the arc in his first year with Golden State was the second-worst of his career to that point, and his 34.4% last season prior to his move to Atlanta was easily the lowest.
At the very least Hield should see plenty of opportunity during preseason to make his case, and his historically great durability could be a major factor in getting minutes for a Hornets team already facing injury concerns.
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