After the Golden State Warriors confirmed the signing of Seth Curry on Monday, Buddy Hield’s worst nightmare would have been immediate impact from the veteran sharpshooter that makes his job in the rotation (and on the team) redundant.
Unfortunately for Hield, that’s exactly what happened after the younger Curry brother made a thrilling start to life with the Warriors despite Tuesday night’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Buddy Hield’s role with the Warriors is already on thin ice
Curry had 14 points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal in less than 18 minutes off the bench, shooting a near perfect 6-of-7 from the floor and 2-of-3 from 3-point range as Golden State mounted a staggering comeback effort in the second-half.
While the Thunder managed to close the game on a 25-9 run to secure victory, Curry’s performance did at least bring some positivity to what was the Warriors’ 10th loss in their past 17 games.
It only took one game for Curry to pile the pressure on Hield who had already been facing rising criticism for his underwhelming form to start the season. With the older Curry brother still sidelined by a quad injury and Jimmy Butler sitting out the second-half with a knee issue, Hield still saw plenty of opportunity in the rotation as Steve Kerr desperately looked for offense without his two best players.
Yet to compound Curry’s brilliant game, Hield once again struggled in shooting just 4-of-15 from the floor and 2-of-9 from 3-point range to finish with 13 points, four assists and two steals in over 28 minutes off the bench.
Even the biggest optimists wouldn’t have expected Curry to be that good in his debut game, leaving Hield’s role in the rotation under serious threat. To put even further strain on Hield, Golden State are expected to get another guard, De’Anthony Melton, back from his long-term knee injury as early as Thursday’s visit to Philadelphia.
Not only is a healthy version of Melton expected to be a bigger rotation piece than Hield, but now Curry looks a more valuable player too based on what he displayed on Tuesday in comparison to what Hield has delivered this season.
The 32-year-old has averaged 7.5 points on 39.5% shooting from the floor and 30% from 3-point range through the first 22 games. Hield is increasingly looking like a legitimate trade candidate, with his $9.2 million salary a potential addition to different moves the Warriors could explore before the February mid-season deadline.
