Buddy Hield returned to some form in Detroit on Thursday, just in time too given the Golden State Warriors were without Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga, while Stephen Curry was limited to only 5-of-21 shooting from the floor.
Hield led the way with a team-high 19 points in a much needed Warrior victory, with the visitors holding on for a 107-104 win despite some nervy final moments as the Pistons closed the game on a 24-9 run.
The Warriors have a Buddy Hield problem they must address
Hield's 19 points came on 7-of-15 shooting from the floor and 5-of-11 from 3-point range, proving enough for Golden State to overcome a red-hot Detroit team who entered on the back of a five-game winning streak.
The veteran sharpshooter is becoming quite the barometer for the Warriors, with his sharp decline in individual form over the last six weeks mirroring the Warriors' form as a team following their 12-3 start to the season.
Hield's performance on Thursday was his ninth game of the season with at least 18 points, but only two of those have come in the past 25 games. Golden State are now a perfect 9-0 when the 32-year-old reaches the 18-point mark, as opposed to holding a 10-18 record when he scores less.
5 buckets from range for No. 7 🎯 pic.twitter.com/C5HgYa7mYC
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 10, 2025
Don't get it wrong, Hield's bounce-back performance against the Pistons was good to see and vital to the Warriors getting a road victory. But perhaps it was too vital and showcases that Golden State are far too reliant on Hield to play well in order to win games.
The nine-year veteran has carved out a long career as one of the best shooters in the league. Yet at this point of his career, Hield should be more the cherry on top of the cake rather than key ingredient. It's nice to see him have games of four/five threes and 15-20 points, but it shouldn't be so essential to the Warriors hopes of being an above average NBA team.
That's the reality of the current Golden State roster though. They're so deficient in offensive firepower that Hield's shooting is extremely important, even when Kuminga and Wiggins are in the lineup.
The reliance on Hield is a problem for the Warriors, and perhaps another reason why they must trade for a more consistently reliable offensive player before the deadline. That would push Hield down the offensive pecking order as someone who can still be a very helpful rotation player, but less of a determining piece on whether Golden State actually win or not.