Grand Bahama native Chavano "Buddy" Hield, the sixth overall pick in the 2016 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans, was widely regarded as the best shooter and one of the top overall players to come out of college last year.
After an unforgettable senior season at Oklahoma, Hield garnered numerous end-of-year awards and came into the league with high expectations.
He averaged 21.1 minutes per game through the first 12 games of the season, but has since seen his role significantly reduced due to the return of point guard Jrue Holiday.
The seven games before Sunday's outing, Hield played just 9.1 minutes per contest, including a season-low 1:28 in a blowout win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Pelicans have lost four of their last five games, but before that, picked up some steam by winning four in a row and five out of six.
They still find themselves in a hole in the NBA's Western Conference, having lost their first eight games of the season and nine of their first 10. The Pelicans have a 7-14 overall win/loss record, and are in 12th place in the Western Conference.
As for Hield, due to his limited playing time as of late, particularly in a blowout win over the Lakers, the media and fans had begun questioning whether or not he was still a part of the Pelicans' plans moving forward. However, he rebounded in a big way, scoring 16 points in 15 minutes of play in a 101-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night. That was his second most points of the season.
Hield added four points and one assist, shot 6-for-12 from the field and 4-for-7 from three-point land.
In the early going, he struggled on both ends of the floor, shooting just over 36 percent from the field and a dismal 24 percent from behind the three-point line. For the season, he is averaging 7.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. He is up to 37.3 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from distance.
With so many questions swirling about Hield's future with the team, Pelicans' General Manager Dell Demps stepped forward to address his early struggles and inconsistent playing time.
"It's a situation where he's a rookie and he's trying to find his way," said Demps. "I give Buddy a lot of credit because he's at the gym, he's watching film and he's working extra hard. Ultimately, I think he's going to be a good NBA player. Sometimes these things take time. Buddy is part of our future. I want to make sure I say that, and when the time is right, the time will come for him. I think this is all just a part of the process."
Given Tyreke Evans' eventual return, the Pelicans could have a major logjam at the guard/wing position, and due to the fact that they have no NBA D-League affiliate, it could be some time before Hield sees consistent minutes.
Randy Smith, Guardian Sports Reporter
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