From the moment he was acquired by the Golden State Warriors in early July, Buddy Hield immediately drew comparisons as the obvious replacement for outgoing franchise legend Klay Thompson.
Yet given Thompson's status as a 5x All-Star, 4x NBA champion and one of the greatest players in franchise history, there was rightfully some conservatism on extending the comparison too far. However, after Hield produced an historic five-game stretch to start the season, Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka had no qualms about comparing the two veteran sharpshooters.
“Klay Thompson all over again. That’s how they’re using him," Udoka said of Hield prior to Saturday's enthralling contest between the Rockets and Warriors at Toyota Center.
Teams are perilous to stop Warriors guard Buddy Hield at the moment
Udoka may have been well in tune with what Hield had been doing heading into Saturday's game, but that doesn't mean he was able to come up with a plan to stop it. The 31-year-old had 14 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting in the first-half, including another four made threes as Golden State built an imposing 28-point lead.
Houston mounted an unlikely and impressive comeback that ultimately took the game to overtime, but Hield still finished with an equal game-high 27 points and seven rebounds on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor and 6-of-10 from three-point range.
Hield has now scored between 21 and 28 points in five of his first six games, and is averaging 22.2 points on 51.6% shooting and 51.7% from beyond the arc. He's come off the bench in all but one game, averaging 25.3 minutes per game.
To put his scoring rate into context, Hield is fourth in the league in points per 36 minutes (minimum 15 minutes played this season). The only three ahead of him are LaMelo Ball, Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo who've combined for 18 All-Star appearances.
Many believed that Hield would come in and fill some of the shooting void left by Thompson, yet even the most optimistic Warrior fans would have to be surprised by the fact he's proving a genuine offensive weapon that teams are struggling to stop.
Just like the Warriors as a team, extending the form further into a challenging schedule will be a huge question mark for Hield. Following Monday's game against the Washington Wizards, Golden State will face three elite teams in the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
For now, outside the one game the Warriors lost against the L.A. Clippers, teams have been unable to stop Hield and the way Kerr and the coaching staff have seemingly rejuvenated his offensive role.