Buddy Hield was back to his best on Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring 19 of his 27 points in the second-half to prove a pivotal factor in his team's 114-106 victory at Chase Center.
It was a much needed bounce back performance from Hield who had been in a significant shooting slump, with the 31-year-old subsequently seeing a season-low 13 minutes and 22 seconds in Friday's loss to the Timberwolves.
The Warriors reliance on Buddy Hield is a little concerning
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Hield's performance on Sunday was his first 20+ point game since the seventh game of the season against the Washington Wizards on November 4. Between that game and Sunday's outing, Hield had averaged 10.2 points on less than 40% shooting from the floor across 15 games.
The veteran sharpshooter took advantage of a starting opportunity against the Timberwolves, drilling seven of his 13 attempts from 3-point range including a dagger corner triple in the final minute that doubled Golden State's lead from three to six.
Hield has become a huge barometer for the Warriors -- when he's getting looks in transition and is hitting shots at a high rate, the offense looks like a completely different beast. When he's not hitting shots, not only does he become a liability of sorts on the floor, but the team offense often struggles significantly.
Golden State are a perfect 7-0 when Hield scores 20 points or more, and hold a 12-3 record in the 15 games where he's scored in double figures. That leaves the Warriors at 2-6 when he scores less than 10 points so far this season.
Given Hield is a big part of the offense, perhaps those numbers aren't surprising. Yet it's also somewhat concerning that the Warriors are so reliant on the scoring of someone who's come off the bench in 20 of 23 games this season, and who's developed a reputation as somewhat of an inconsistent scorer.
In an ideal world Hield would be the icing on the cake, rather than a key ingredient the Warriors require to play well in order to win. Perhaps Jonathan Kuminga's ascension into a starting role and a 30+ minute per game player will help matters, relegating Hield to at best the fourth offensive option behind Stephen Curry, Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins when Golden State are healthy.
Despite his recent slump, Hield's season numbers are still above expectation. The former sixth overall pick is currently averaging 14.5 points on 43.1% 3-point shooting, with the Warriors a +91 in Hield's 539 minutes on the floor.