Buddy Hield has been, surprisingly, one of the Golden State Warriors' most important players thus far in the playoffs.
In their series against the Houston Rockets, Hield had massive 15 and 17-point performances in Games 3 and 4 that propelled the Warriors to a 3-1 series lead. While he disappeared in Games 5 and 6, contributing to two brutal Golden State losses, he came back in monstrous fashion in Game 7, scoring a team-leading 33 points and shooting 9-of-11 from 3-point range.
Now, as the Warriors enter their second-round matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Hield has continued to rise to the occasion, and his continued performance will be vital to any sort of playoff run his team is able to put together this season.
Hield needs to continue to be the Warriors' saving grace
When Golden State acquired Hield as a part of the convoluted Klay Thompson trade, they hoped that he would find moments just like these to make his mark on the franchise.
Throughout much of the Houston series, the Rockets were able to effectively hinder the scoring of both Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, leading to the Warriors, at times, appearing to be lost and stagnant on offense.
While shooting guard Brandin Podziemski had some flashes of effectiveness in the first round, his ultimate inconsistency meant that Golden State needed to turn toward another perimeter shooter in order to take advantage of the double-teams sent to Curry on almost every possession.
Hield, throughout his career, has been a notoriously streak shooter, but he has shot 37% from 3-point range this season and can be mostly relied upon to make his shots when he is most needed.
With Curry leaving Game 1 against the Timberwolves in the second quarter with a hamstring strain, the Warriors yet again turned to Hield for deliverance, and he stepped up in a big way. On the night, Hield led the team with 24 points, also adding eight rebounds and three assists.
According to early reports, Curry is now day-to-day with his injury, and, in his absence, it is likely that the Timberwolves will return to form offensively.
Therefore, Golden State desperately needs Hield to continue his hot stretch at least until Curry's return, allowing them to capitalize on their stellar defensive matchup against Minnesota's offense.
Stealing Game 1 of the series was a massive victory, but it will not be enough the Warriors' offense goes cold yet again.