Warriors’ Buddy Hield makes shocking revelation he’s returning to Oklahoma

When the Golden State Warriors lost Klay Thompson, there was only one player who stood out as the ideal replacement for the three-point shooter they lost: Buddy Hield. Hield has made 1,929 threes since entering the league, second only to Stephen Curry during that span (Curry has 2,157). In what seems like the perfect marriage, Hield has enjoyed his life as a warrior so far, which is very evident in the way he played during their 139-104 demolition of the Portland Trail Blazers on opening night.

Hield’s skill set, diligent movement off the ball and his accuracy from beyond the arc that doesn’t seem to be affected by being off balance or being hotly contested make him a handful and a glove suitable for the Warriors’ offensive system. And Hield certainly thinks that style of play is right for him, as it reminds him of the decision-making agency he had during his illustrious collegiate stint with the Oklahoma Sooners.

“I don’t want to talk about it, but I think the last time I was free like that was at Oklahoma,” Hield said, per Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle , via HoopsHype .

Back in Oklahoma, Hield had carte blanche as he took over his team’s offense. During his senior year, Hield won the Wooden Award, which shows how electric he was as he led the Sooners to the Final Four of the 2016 NCAA Tournament, falling short to eventual champion Villanova in the end.

Of course, once Hield entered the league, he was restricted by the more rigid structures that teams have. He was no longer the big fish in a smaller pond; had to buy his paper to gain minutes. But with the Warriors, the freedom to make decisions built into the team’s offense is allowing Hield to thrive: He scored 22 points in just 15 minutes in his regular-season debut with the Dubs.

That should only mean good things for Hield and the Warriors moving forward. What he will need to do, however, is temper his expectations, as he is battling with many other talented players for a consistent spot in Steve Kerr’s rotation, although he looks set to be one of Kerr’s most trusted players.

Buddy Hield makes it rain as the Warriors dominate on opening night

The Warriors have placed a heavy emphasis on three-point shooting to begin the 2024-25 season. Since the offseason, Steve Kerr has asked his players to let him fly from beyond the arc as a means to collectively fill the void left by the departure of Klay Thompson, and on Wednesday night, indeed, they made it rain even though the roof was closed in Moda. Centre.

Despite missing their first nine three-point attempts on opening night, they still finished the game with 20 3-pointers made on 48 attempts (41.7 percent). Buddy Hield was responsible for five of those triples, and ended up leading the team in scoring despite his limited minutes. It certainly seems like a mutualistic relationship between Hield and the Dubs.