Prior to the final outing against the Houston Rockets leading into the All-Star break, Buddy Hield had started 12-straight games for the Golden State Warriors as Stephen Curry's back court partner.
Hield was fairly abysmal throughout that period, having shot less than 38% from the floor and 34% from 3-point range, while also holding the worst plus-minus of any player to be seeing at least 18 minutes per game.
Warriors have finally come to a Buddy Hield realization
By the time Brandin Podziemski finally surpassed Hield as the starting two-guard against the Rockets, most fans thought it was long overdue. The 31-year-old remained similarly ineffective in Houston, going 1-of-5 from the floor and missing all four of his 3-pointers.
Yet it was notable that Hield played less than 14 minutes in that game, perhaps providing an indication of his role moving forward. He did see nearly 26 minutes on Friday against the Sacramento Kings, but that's because he was firing for one of the first times since early in the season.
Hield went 8-of-11 from the floor and 5-of-8 from 3-point range, finishing with an equal team-high 22 points as Golden State began their post All-Star break in perfect fashion with a 132-108 victory. It was Hield's best scoring games since December 8, and only the second time he's reached 22 points since the sixth game of the season.
While it's only one game, there's no doubt that Hield is far more suited to a bench role where his minutes are determined by how he's playing within that individual game. While he remains one of the league's most dangerous shooters who can get hot, you don't want him as a one of the focal points of your offense which has been the case far too much this season.
Fortunately Steve Kerr has finally come to this realization, even if it took a blockbuster trade for Jimmy Butler to set the wheels in motion. The fact Kerr persisted with Hield for so long in the starting lineup was proof of their desperation, but that's since disappeared and the right decision has been made.
Hield had at least 16 points in seven of his first eight games this season. Six of those came off the bench as he played the sort of microwave scoring role that was expected when he initially signed with Golden State in the offseason.
Perhaps he can now find some more consistency back in that bench role, and if he doesn't then the Warriors now have the other pieces in place to ensure they're not totally reliant on Hield's production like they previously have been.