PHILADELPHIA — New Philadelphia 76ers guard Buddy Hield has enjoyed a great deal of statistical success through his first four games with his new team. He’s averaging 22.3 points, 7.5 assists and 4 rebounds while shooting 52.3% from the floor and 45% from deep.
Hield has been able to find an early rhythm playing next to Tyrese Maxey. The two of them are such elite 3-point shooters and they have been able to play off each other rather quickly. The Sixers have played much faster without Joel Embiid and focused more on their guard play at the moment.
However, once Embiid returns, the Sixers will go back to focusing on the big fella as they should. Embiid is the league’s leading scorer at 35.3 points per game and he can take games over at any moment. Once Embiid returns, Hield will have to adjust his game again to play off the reigning league MVP.
“I feel like playing without Joel Embiid, I don’t what it’s like – I know what it’s like playing against it,” Hield laughed. “Everybody says you get a lot of viable shots, and you think that you shoot the ball now but it’s hard to simulate when he’s not there, but I know that when he’s not on the court we can put a different style of play that can help everybody else. Whether it’s moving the ball, passing, cutting, playing unselfishly, playing faster, getting up and down the floor, being able to switch out five defensively.”
Everything the Sixers do hinges on Embiid. Coach Nick Nurse can make all the adjustments he wants, and so far he has made the absolute correct ones and deserves so much credit, but Philadelphia will not go where they want to go unless Embiid is healthy.
That’s why Hield will have to prepare for another adjustment when the big fella does eventually return.
“He’s a guy that controls the whole game and he controls the game in a positive way,” Hield added of Embiid. “Whether it’s slow or fast and I’m excited to adjust to that, but when that time comes you know you need a short period of time because you need to adjust. That’s the fun part of being a professional. It’s always a new challenge so I’m up for it. It’s a part of the NBA. It’s no crying in basketball. You get paid to do this job so you adapt.”
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