Buddy scored 20 points on Monday, but does that highlight a larger problem?
Buddy Hield played a crucial role for the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Monday, regaining his rhythm and shooting touch in a 130-120 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
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The veteran sharpshooter teamed up with Gary Payton II to contribute 46 points off the bench, with Hield putting up 20 points on an impressive 7-of-10 shooting from the field, including 6-of-9 from beyond the arc.
Buddy Hield continues to shine against lesser opposition
The 32-year-old entered the game following two disappointing performances against the Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons, where he managed just eight total points on 3-of-15 shooting, including a rough 1-of-10 from three-point range.
Hield particularly struggled in his 23 minutes against the Nets, missing all eight of his attempts—five from beyond the arc—and finishing with a -11 rating. Despite his off night, the Warriors still secured a narrow two-point win.
Seeing Hield bounce back and regain his rhythm against the Trail Blazers was a positive sign for Golden State. His scoring was crucial, especially as the team surrendered 43 points in the third quarter while Deni Avdija (34 points) and Anfernee Simons (32 points) nearly fueled a Portland comeback.
At the same time, Hield’s performance serves as another example of him capitalizing against weaker competition. Monday marked the 10th time he’s reached the 20-point mark this season, with eight of those games coming against teams that wouldn’t make the playoffs if the season ended today. Additionally, seven of his 20-point outings have been against teams currently sitting in the bottom four of their respective conferences.
While it’s expected for role players to perform better against lesser opponents, Hield’s numbers appear unusually skewed, which could pose a concern for the Warriors as they push toward the playoffs.
With his struggles to deliver big scoring performances against stronger teams, how much trust can Steve Kerr place in Hield when the postseason arrives? If the Warriors secure a playoff spot—riding a 12-2 surge over their last 14 games—fans will likely have some concerns about his reliability in high-stakes matchups.
Hield has averaged 23.3 minutes per game this season, but it’s hard to imagine him maintaining that level of playing time in the playoffs—especially with Golden State set to welcome back Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, potentially expanding their rotation to 11 players deserving of minutes.
At the same time, outside of Stephen Curry, no one on the roster provides the same level of shooting threat as Hield. The Warriors will undoubtedly need that spacing at times, making it intriguing to see how his minutes fluctuate down the stretch of the season.
