With the Golden State Warriors signing and trading Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks, Steve Kerr wasted no time when the Warriors immediately brought in Buddy Hield. While Hield won't fill the void left by Thompson, Kerr has no concerns about how he'll use the former Philadelphia 76ers guard.
“One of the reasons we are excited to get Buddy Hield is because we will run some of the same stuff that we ran for Klay for Buddy,” Kerr told ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. “Draymond and Steph will be looking for him on the perimeter when they're playing with him. And then the other new guys, Melton, Kyle Anderson — there's a reason we targeted them too. They fit any lineup, such smart tough players that they're easy to play with.
Hield has had a solid career up to this point. He's averaged 15.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists per game while shooting an impressive 40% from three-point range. The sharpshooter joins a team with one of the most prolific shooters in NBA history, Stephen Curry. However, Hield has his history.
How effectively can Warriors' Steve Kerr use Buddy Hield like Klay Thompson?
Kerr can use Hield in a variety of ways. Utilizing him in off-ball screens, floppy sets, and simple curl plays can help get Hield in space. Also, the Warriors have another elite three-point specialist at their disposal. Hield became the fastest player in NBA history to hit 1,000 career three-pointers, doing so in only 350 games. Not to mention, he and Curry are neck-and-neck in one category.
The two players are first and second in most threes made since the 2016-17 season (Hield's rookie season). Curry leads with 2,154, while Hield has 1,924. The newest Warrior is ahead of all-stars like James Harden and Damian Lillard. Although Thompson was one of the emotional leaders, the basketball side of things will be more of the same for Kerr.
“So I don't anticipate a difficult transition basketball-wise,” Kerr said. “It's more just the emotional void of Klay being gone after being so close with him and going through so much with him. That part is really sad. But you have to move on.”
The Warriors have another two weeks before the regular season begins. With Thompson in Dallas and Hield in Golden State, the roles will be similar but different. There will be plenty of small ball lineups just like there have been in seasons prior. Still, the Warriors have two of the most efficient shooters in the league on the same team.
