The Golden State Warriors bounced back from a tough loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday with a 114-106 victory in their second NBA matchup. Following a standout performance, Buddy Hield didn’t hold back in expressing his admiration for Stephen Curry and the Warriors while hinting at his dissatisfaction with his time on the Philadelphia 76ers last season.
With Andrew Wiggins sidelined due to injury, Steve Kerr entrusted Hield with a starting role alongside Curry. Though the 31-year-old struggled to find his rhythm early, he finished as the Warriors‘ second-highest scorer behind Curry, posting 27 points on 10-18 shooting from the field and 7-13 from beyond the arc.
After the game, Hield reflected on his experience last season in Philadelphia and compared it to his time in Golden State. “Last year, I didn’t have that love [for basketball],” Hield said via NBA TV. “We wanted to find a team that I can feel appreciated and loved… This team is just so unselfish. They make the right play. They play the way I want to play, and on and off the court, it’s a great group to be around.”
Hield also credited Curry, Kerr, and his new teammates for helping him feel at home. “Steph [Curry] and Steve [Kerr] reaching out to me during free agency, communicating [on] just being here, you know — Steve and Steph, and Draymond, and everybody,” Hield said. “GP [Gary Payton II], everybody, putting his arm around me, trying to help me get to my old self.”
Hield’s championship aspirations
Playing alongside NBA champions like Curry and Draymond Green, Hield acknowledged the opportunity to learn from proven winners. “I haven’t won yet in this league. So being around these guys, you want to learn how to win. You want to see how they do things,” Hield admitted.
“Just being here, I’m being a sponge and keeping my eyes open,” he continued. “Everything they do, I’m like, ‘Yes, sir,’ because these men have won four championships. I’m just learning their championship ways and habits.”
Kerr praises Hield’s performance
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr’s decision to start Hield paid off, even though the sharpshooter initially struggled. “Well, it took him a little bit,” Kerr said. “He missed shots early. But we’re at our best when we’re playing fast and with a lot of pace, and that’s what Buddy does really well. He runs the floor in transition probably better than anybody on our team.”
“He just sprints to the corners and creates a lot of space,” Kerr added. “Early in the season, he was getting a lot of shots in transition from the corners. So that was kind of the idea, to see if we could get him going again. Our offense has really been struggling. He eventually found his comfort zone and confidence and got going again.”