Four years of college hoops transformed Buddy Hield into "Buddy Buckets" and skyrocketed his draft stock.
He would have been a fringe first-rounder had he left Oklahoma a year earlier, but delaying his decision allowed him to strike when the iron was hottest. With both the Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy on his resume, Hield lasted just six selections into the 2016 talent grab, and the New Orleans Pelicans gladly snatched him up.
"We targeted Buddy. He's the guy we wanted here," Pelicans general manager Dell Demps said, per ESPN.com's Justin Verrier. "We wanted Buddy in a Pelican uniform. He's one of the guys when we came into the draft we were hoping to walk out with."
On paper, Hield packs NBA-ready perimeter punch, which New Orleans badly needed to spark its offense and provide some relief for franchise face Anthony Davis. During Hield's final collegiate campaign, he unleashed a historically significant combination of volume and efficiency, becoming the first player since at least 1993-94 to average 25 points per game and post a 65-plus true shooting percentage.
His shooting range is real and ridiculou ...
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Article written by Zach Buckley
Realistic Expectations for New Orleans Pelicans Rookie Buddy Hield in 2016-17
July 23rd, 2016 by Zach Buckley Leave a reply »
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