The 2024-25 NBA season fell to a new low for the Golden State Warriors on Monday, falling to the lowly Toronto Raptors in a loss that pushes them below a .500 record for the first time.
The offensive issues were again prominent for the Warriors despite facing the league's 27th-ranked defense, with the visitors shooting less than 40% from the floor and 35% from 3-point range while being limited to just 23 points in the final period.
Steve Kerr is failing to come to an obvious Buddy Hield realization
Not for the first time recently, Buddy Hield was one of the major culprits for Golden State's offensive struggles. The veteran guard finished with eight points on 3-of-13 shooting from the floor and just 2-of-10 from beyond the arc, including missing the final prayer in the closing seconds that could have sent the game into overtime.
Fans have become increasingly frustrated with Hield's production since an incredibly hot start to the season, but Steve Kerr confirmed post-game that he'll continue to trust the 31-year-old despite having shot 37.7% from the floor and 33.3% from 3-point range over the last 31 games.
“I trust him. I put him in the last play because I believe he’ll make the next shot," Kerr said. "I’m gonna keep playing him. I’m gonna keep trusting him.”
What has Buddy Hield ever done to earn this level of trust? 🤦🏻
— Cyrus Saatsaz (@SurfJournalist) January 14, 2025
I hope people are starting to realize why I’ve been griping about this man for 2+ years. https://t.co/zuAwqn3SxF
Kerr should relegate Buddy Hield to the bench forever
— Niko (@nikotaughtyou) January 14, 2025
Buddy Hield had one of the worst games I’ve ever seen.
— S. (@SSharif7) January 14, 2025
And Steve Kerr drew up the final play for him.
I can’t watch this team anymore
While a head coach publicly stating their trust in a player isn't surprising, Kerr's in-game decisions and faith in Hield continues to baffle a lot of fans. 30+ games of poor form is a big sample size on which to base, yet Hield's role continues to fly in the face of recent performance.
Rather than start Kyle Anderson as a natural replacement for the absent Draymond Green on Monday, Kerr chose to go small in starting a three-guard lineup of Stephen Curry, Dennis Schroder and Hield.
Then, despite struggles throughout the game, Kerr still chose to play Hield for over eight minutes in the final period. The nine-year veteran played over 33 minutes for the game -- a disproportionally high number even despite the absence of fellow guards Brandin Podziemski and Gary Payton II.
Hield can be effective in a spark plug role off the bench -- someone who averages 15-18 minutes per game. If he's hitting shots then you can ride him for 20-25 minutes, and if he's cold then it might be closer to 8-10 minutes.
Most fans have realized that Hield needs to be in a more limited role that's largely game-by-game dependant, but Kerr hasn't come to that realization which is only harming the team's current form as a whole.