The departure of Klay Thompson from the Bay Area has brought several questions about the outlook of the Golden State Warriors. With Thompson deciding to take his talents to the Dallas Mavericks, there is a void to be filled on Golden State’s roster.
What will Buddy Hield’s role be with the Golden State Warriors?
Many believe that Buddy Hield will be the guy to start alongside Stephen Curry as Thompson’s replacement. But it appears that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is leaning towards having the former Oklahoma Sooners star as the team’s sixth man.
“He looks the part, doesn’t he?” Kerr said during the postgame press conference following the Warriors’ 111-93 win at home over the Pistons on Sunday (h/t 95.7 The Game).
“He comes off the bench, and you can feel his impact immediately. He’s not shy, and we need that.”
“He looks the part, doesn’t he? He comes off the bench, and you can feel his impact immediately. He’s not shy, and we need that.”
Kerr on if he sees Buddy Hield as a traditional sixth man on this team pic.twitter.com/8m7gcyfboZ
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) October 14, 2024
Curry remains a dangerous scorer on the floor, but he can’t play 48 minutes a night, especially at this point of his career. Having someone like Hield, a proven sharpshooter and instant offense generator on the court while Curry gets a breather on the bench can help sustain the Warriors’ offense.
That also means someone else will have to start alongside Curry in the backcourt and that could be anyone from the likes of Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton, and Moses Moody.
Hield, who played for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Indiana Pacers in the 2023-24 NBA season is making 40.0 percent of his 3-point shots in his career. The 31-year-old Hield signed a four-year deal worth $37.76 million with the Dubs last July, and that contract includes a player option for the 2027-28 season.
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