Warriors blind Buddy Hield faith leads to unforeseen playoff scenario

Aside from the first 10 games of the season, fans would suggest that Buddy Hield has done little to warrant nearly 60 minutes across the course of the Golden State Warriors last two playoff games.

Yet amid all the calls for him to get less minutes or even be removed from the rotation entirely, the Steve Kerr and the Warriors have persisted with Hield throughout the season even if his performances haven't warranted it.

That faith has paid off big time over the last two games, with Hield stepping into a larger role and helping the Warriors to a pair of huge home victories that's seen them take a decisive 3-1 series lead over the Houston Rockets in their first-round matchup.

Buddy Hield has stunningly overtaken Moses Moody in the Warriors rotation

With Jimmy Butler on the sidelines due to a pelvic contusion, Hield stepped up as another source of offense for Golden State in Game 3. The veteran sharpshooter played over 29 minutes and was the team's second-leading scorer with 17 points, having shot 6-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-11 from 3-point range.

As Butler returned from injury in Game 4, one would have expected the Warriors to rely on Hield less than they had in Game 3. Instead, the 32-year-old earned a promotion to the starting lineup alongside Butler, Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski and Draymond Green.

Hield validated the decision with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 30 minutes, including making a late-game 3-pointer that gave his team the lead in an eventual 109-106 victory. It was also the only Warrior basket not scored by Butler in the final six minutes, with the 6x All-Star tallying 11 of the host's final 14 points.

The surprise part of Hield's game was that he shot an efficient 6-of-15 from the floor and 3-of-9 from beyond the arc, yet found a way to have a positive impact. Hield's defense to start the game was at a level scarcely seen throughout the season, and helped set the tone for a disastrous Jalen Green performance as the Rockets usual leading scorer was kept to eight points on just 3-of-8 shooting along with five turnovers.

That helped Golden State start the game on a 16-4 run, while his rebounding was also crucial in an 18-1 run to start the third-quarter. While Hield was busy making an impact despite not shooting overly well, Moses Moody was limited to less than 12 minutes where the fourth-year wing shot 1-of-6 from the floor, 1-of-4 from 3-point range, and was a -8 in the three-point win.

The fact Hield has seemingly overtaken Moody in the playoff rotation is a wild and unforeseen scenario, particularly after the young wing had started 31-straight games and been such a valuable piece to the team's resurgence after the Butler trade.

We're now at a point where it would be surprising to see Moody get more minutes than Hield in Game 5, though that may still make Warrior fans anxious given the inconsistent and often unreliable nature of the nine-year veteran.