Buddy Hield's hot-and-cold nature has been obvious since his arrival at the Golden State Warriors last year, and it's again becoming a nagging and ongoing problem for the franchise to start this season.
As one of the best 3-point shooters in the league over the last decade, Hield will always earn the respect of opposing defenses. However, his start to this season has been underwhelming to say the last, having averaged just 6.9 points on 40% shooting from the floor and 28.1% from 3-point range through seven games.
Buddy Hield's inconsistent shooting is a problem that won't go away
While the Warriors may not be relying on Hield in a way that they were forced to do during last season's playoffs, there's still a reliance on the veteran sharpshooter given their lack of other scoring options off the bench.
Golden State currently rank 25th across the league in bench scoring, largely stemming from the disappointing form of Hield and some others, along with Jonathan Kuminga's insertion into the starting lineup.
The problem is Hield has proven he can't be relied upon as a consistent shooter and scoring threat. His explosive 33-point game-winning performance in Game 7 of last season's first-round playoff series proves he's more than capable, but hot shooting games are also intertwined with numerous cold periods where Hield is a liability of sorts on the floor.
We're going through one of those periods right now. The Warriors are asking less of him from a playing time perspective, with Hield currently averaging nearly six minutes less than the 22.7 per game he averaged in his first year with the franchise.
In many ways that's a positive because Steve Kerr isn't being forced to play through Hield's struggles, but it doesn't prevent the bench scoring issues that have been so prevalent for Golden State to start the season.
The Warriors need Hield to step up and provide some sort of consistency, or potentially look at other options externally who could fill the role. With De'Anthony Melton soon to return from injury and Seth Curry also likely to back on the roster, Hield's minutes could become even more limited. If that's the case, then utilizing his $9.2 million salary could become much more of an option on the trade market.
So not only do Golden State need more from Hield in the short-term, but the 32-year-old could also be playing for his future at the franchise if he can't get back on track before the mid-season trade deadline.