The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Nearly a week to the day when he set his career high, Buddy Hield equalled that mark last weekend as his efficient shooting continues for the Sacramento Kings.

Hield tied his career high Saturday night with 22 points in his team’s 123-117 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Hield shot 9-15 from the field and 4-6 from three- point range to lead the Kings in scoring for the fifth time and third time within the last seven games.

His recent play has seen his stock rise on the Kia NBA Rookie Ladder and has him in position as a likely candidate to be named to the All-Rookie First Team.

Hield originally set his new career high in scoring with 22 points in a 114-100 loss to the Golden State Warriors on March 24 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.

He nearly finished with a triple double, adding eight rebounds and seven assists.

Hield finished with 21 points in the Kings’ 116-98 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, just two days prior on March 24.

He shot 50 per cent (8-16) from the field, 2-3 from three-point range and added four rebounds and two assists.

That game tied a previous career high of 21 points in a 102-95 January win

over the Indiana Pacers when he shot 8-17, including 5-8 from three.

Since the trade to the Kings, Hield has shot 49 percent overall and 43 percent from three point range.

Hield is fourth among rookies in scoring at 10.1 points per game, sixth in three point percentage at 39 percent and fourth in free throw shooting at 87 percent.

Kings.com writer Benedict Tagle charted Hield’s shooting progress since joining the Kings through advanced analytics.

“Taking a look at advanced statistics, his numbers become even more impressive. His effective field goal percentage is 59.7 percent and his true shooting percentage is an astronomical 62.3 percent. His baskets are coming at approximately an equal ratio of assisted and unassisted attempts. Exactly 49.5 percent of his made field goals are assisted, while 50.5 percent come unassisted. The uncertainty of how to defend the rookie guard is leading to open baskets. About two-thirds of his shots, 67.2 percent, come when the defender is at least four feet away—a distance the NBA characterizes as an open basket. Hield is making opposing teams pay for their porous defense, making 50 percent of his total open attempts. When the defender is four to six feet away, Hield’s effective field goal percentage jumps up to 68.3 percent. When the defender is more than six feet away, it remains a very good 62 percent,” he said, “When the rookie makes quick decisions, his results improve. When he holds the ball for two to six seconds during his touches, his effective field goal percentage is 57.4 percent. When his touches are less than two seconds, his effective field goal percentage leaps to 64 percent. Another key to his improvement has been the development of repeatable, consistent shots. For Buddy, his go-to attempt is a step-back jumper. On these attempts, he’s shooting 69.2 percent from the field, as well as 80 percent from downtown. On stepback jumpers, he has an effective field goal percentage of 84.6 percent. He has also displayed good touch when pulling up. On pull-up jumpers, he is shooting 69.2 percent overall and 100 percent from long distance. His effective field goal percentage is 80.8 percent on these attempts.”

The Kings have five game remaining in the regular season, which culminates Wednesday April 12 against the Los Angeles Clippers.