Hield's hope of major NBA award may be foiled by Warriors teammate

Strong early form has not only propelled the Golden State Warriors to a 9-2 record, but it's lifted some individual players into early discussions for major NBA awards.

One of those is Buddy Hield who has been on fire for the Warriors in a bench role, subsequently seeing the 31-year-old emerge as a legitimate candidate for Sixth Man of the Year.

Despite some quieter performances in his last three games, Hield is still averaging 16.6 points and 4.3 rebounds on 49.6% shooting from the floor and 44.3% from three-point range (excluding his one game as a starter).

Buddy Hield's biggest threat for 6MOY may be a Warriors teammate

Hield and Payton Pritchard are seen as the two early favorites for Sixth Man of the Year, with the Boston Celtics guard having got off to a similarly hot shooting start in averaging 16.2 points on 42.7% three-point shooting.

Yet there's also another potential candidate who is going under the radar right now -- Hield's teammate in Jonathan Kuminga. The former seventh overall pick moved back to the bench after the first three games of the season, and has since been incredibly consistent as a constant scoring threat for Golden State.

Kuminga has scored at least 10 points in all eight of his games off the bench, including seven games of 15 points or more. The 22-year-old has scored 21, 20 and 16 points in his last three games, and now leads the entire league in bench scoring at 17.3 points per game on 52% shooting from the floor and 42.9% from three-point range. Kuminga is also averaging 4.8 rebounds, two assists and nearly a steal in his games off the bench, further showcasing a strong response despite the initial disappointment.

The fourth-year forward would have been hoping to be a Most Improved candidate if anything, particularly if he was able to nail down a starting role. Perhaps Kuminga can now turn his attention to a different award though, and one that could still generate him a large payday come the offseason where he's set to be a restricted free agent.

Kuminga only has to look at Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro as a recent example of a young Sixth Man of the Year award winner who got a four-year, $120 million deal shortly after. While Kuminga may hope his form converts into a return to the starting lineup, there's still a pathway for him to get the contract he desires as a bench player this season.

Could Hield and Kuminga harm each other's chances for the award? Perhaps so, yet Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell at the L.A Clippers are a recent example that shows it's still possible to win. Either way, the Warriors all of a sudden have one of (if not) the most dynamic bench duo in the entire league.