The Indiana Pacers are going through it right now. They have lost four straight and seven of ten. Tyrese Haliburton called them out, but there are several issues to fix if Indiana wants to be a serious contender. They are in the bottom ten in offensive and defensive rating and have just two road wins in 13 tries. The Pacers are finding out a ton about their team, but they are not the only ones.
Golden State acquired former Pacer Buddy Hield in the Klay Thompson sign-and-trade. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had a plan to use his elite movement shooting to give his team a needed offensive boost behind Stephen Curry. Hield can get buckets, but there are several reasons he did not stick in Indiana.
Fans remember the blistering start where Hield averaged over 21 points per game and made 50.7 percent of his 3-pointers over the first eight contests. Golden State was 7-1 and loving the addition, but Kerr quickly learned an important lesson.
Steve Kerr realizes Buddy Hield is inconsistent
In the last 12 games, Hield averaged 10.7 points on 39.3 percent shooting from the field and 37.5 percent on his 3-point attempts. His minutes are down to 21.3 per game, and the 31-year-old has scored over 15 points just twice.
Pacers fans know the story too well. There are blistering nights where Hield looks like he will never miss again and prolonged stretches where the 6’4 guard is an inefficient scorer. His lack of defense and playmaking makes it difficult to keep Hield on the floor during the cold stretches. He is an elite shooter, but his inconsistency remains problematic.
Kerr is quickly finding out. Golden State has lost five straight games and won just five times during Hield’s 12-game cold stretch. Stephen Curry has missed time, but the Warriors cannot give Buddy more run. Kerr has experimented with deeper rotations this season, and Hield could see his playing time go down further if he cannot find his stroke.
Nobody should be surprised. The 76ers benched Hield for two playoff games last season. He scored just two points in the first-round series against the Knicks before his explosion in the decisive Game 6 for 21 points in 21 minutes to make his averages look respectable.
The veteran will provide those spark plug moments of instant offense, but the times in between can be maddening. Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors need offensive punch behind Curry. Expect them to stick with Buddy Hield, but they will continue to be plagued by his inefficiency and cold spells. All Pacers fans can do is sit back and sympathize after experiencing it for two and a half seasons.