Tag: Buddy Hield

Sixers’ Buddy Hield reacts to finally making his first playoff appearance

Buddy Hield reacts to finally making his first playoff appearance after the Philadelphia 76ers knocked off the Miami Heat.

PHILADELPHIA — Due to a 105-104 win over the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament, the Philadelphia 76ers are the No. 7 seed in the East and are headed to the playoffs. They will take on the New York Knicks in a tough first-round series.

The win also means Buddy Hield will finally play in a playoff game. The eighth-year pro out of Oklahoma never had the opportunity while playing for the New Orleans Pelicans, the Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers earlier in his career and he will have that chance after playing in 632 games in his career.

After scoring seven points with six assists in the win over the Heat, Hield gave his reaction to finally making the postseason in his career.

“I think it’s a blessing,” he smiled. “Thank God for the opportunity. It’s just about being patient with it. With the trade, seeing Indiana making it, my old team in Sacramento making it, I just (felt) like, ’(Expletive), when is my time?’ Just got to be patient, and I was patient about it.”

Hield is right about that. The Kings made the playoffs in 2023 to snap a 17-year playoff drought. The Pacers clinched the No. 6 seed and a playoff spot this season for the first time since 2020 after they sent him to Philadelphia. He now has his chance.

“I feel like once you get over that hump, everything starts falling where it’s supposed to be,” Hield added. “I’m just glad. I’m excited, man. I’m excited for these guys, I’m excited for the coaching staff that we have. To be in Philadelphia, first time making the playoffs, it’s a blessing. It wasn’t pretty, but we got it done.”

It was a rough first half for Hield on Wednesday. He was unable to get any type of rhythm and flow, but he was made an impact in the second half. Miami’s zone defense seemed to befuddle him and the Sixers, but he fixed that and helped the Sixers rally from 14 points down to win.

“I think we had more pop, more flow,” Hield said of the second-half success. “We were so focused on trying to feed Joel (Embiid) the whole time and get him going. Like, make him be our savior, but we started playing real team basketball and once we got that going, we were good.”

Hield and the Sixers move on to face the Knicks and look to make a deep run into the playoffs.

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Joel Embiid looks to build chemistry with Buddy Hield for Sixers

Joel Embiid is looking to continue building chemistry with Buddy Hield for the Philadelphia 76ers in the final two games.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers acquired Buddy Hield from the Indiana Pacers at the trade deadline with the idea he would form a nice two-man game with Joel Embiid. The Sixers have had success with shooters playing next to Embiid in the past.

Hield revealed recently that he has been studying film of JJ Redick and Seth Curry from Embiid’s past so he can succeed with the big fella as well.

Tuesday’s 120-102 win over the Detroit Pistons was a step in the right direction for him. He had 18 points and drilled five 3s off the bench. The Sixers will need him to continue to build chemistry with Embiid in these final two games of the season.

“It was good,” Embiid said of playing with Hield. “He finally made shots (he was joking), so that’s a good thing. Nah, he’s great. We’re still trying to build a chemistry. Trying to get him wide-open shots. It might not come directly from me, but whatever. The attention, especially with the double teams they sent, one pass away, two passes away, he’s gonna get wide-open shots so just need to keep finding our rhythm.”

Hield’s shooting has been up and down recently. He struggled on the recent road trip an,d Embiid and the Sixers are trying to get him to understand that patience is a virtue. He will need to remain patient and not rush into any looks.

“I think the only thing — and I told him — the only thing that’s gonna help us is just finding the space,” Embiid added. “Instead of just trying to run as fast as possible, but we’re gonna work on it.”

Coach Nick Nurse echoed those sentiments. He wants Hield to understand he will get his shots around Embiid. He has to just play within the offense, and his shots will come. There’s no reason to rush to his spots and throw up any bad looks.

“I think with Joel out there, if he has some patience, the ball will come to him,” Nurse explained. “I thought he got some good shots and they executed a couple of good sets for him, as well, but, yeah it was good to see. It felt like he was going to make them tonight when the ball hit his hands.”

Hield and Embiid have two games left to find their chemistry heading into the playoffs.

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Buddy Hield studying film of shooters past to succeed with Joel Embiid

Buddy Hield is studying film of shooters from Joel Embiid’s past to succeed with him for the Philadelphia 76ers.

MIAMI — When the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Buddy Hield at the deadline, one of the reasons was to pair him with Joel Embiid and give him another guard to perform the two-man game with.

While coach Nick Nurse preaches more of a free-flowing offense where there are numerous actions and everybody gets involved, Embiid and Hield will run some form of a two-man game at some point.

This is important because Embiid had a great deal of success with the two-man game when paired with shooters such as JJ Redick and Seth Curry. To succeed with the big fella, Hield is studying film of those two.

“I’ve been watching film and I’ve been watching film guys of guys like JJ and Seth and all the guys that played with him,” said Hield. “When he gets situated and gets his confidence, gets his legs, we can get the ball rolling.”

With Embiid on the floor, that takes some of the defensive attention away from Hield. Defenses have been zeroing in on Hield to slow him. With the big fella back, the Sixers can run plenty of actions to get Hield open.

“I just think he just provides overload,” Hield added. “He’s just so good in the short roll. He’s a big body and he’s always doubled so I think he just creates open looks for guys and I just gotta be ready to catch and shoot.”

Embiid is the reigning league MVP and he makes life easier for everybody on the floor. The Sixers will need everybody to be on the same page with him if they want to succeed in the playoffs. That will be the challenge for Hield and the others in these final six games on the docket.

“Playing with a dominant force like that, I never had that experience,” he added. “Even when guys get rolling, you see guys trapping, I feel like every time on the court, there’s always two guys. So moving the ball and just when the time comes to shoot the ball, shoot the ball, or try to get the best open shot.”

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Tyrese Haliburton called Buddy Hield during a press conference just to brag about dunking

Tyrese Haliburton was very proud of his own athleticism in this game.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton is an incredible talent on the court but he isn’t exactly known for his dominant athleticism.

Haliburton, who started in the backcourt for the Eastern Conference in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, is having a remarkable season. While it includes crazy stats and absurd 3-pointers, he doesn’t exactly have a highlight reel of dunks.

This was the first dunk he dunked in more than a month, per Stathead, and one of his only games with multiple dunks in his professional career.

So when he threw down multiple dunks during a big win for the Pacers against the Nets on Monday night, he knew he needed to talk about it with some of his biggest critics.

The first person that he thought to tell was his longtime teammate Buddy Hield.

Haliburton and Hield played together on the Kings and then were traded alongside one another to the Pacers. Hield was dealt to the 76ers at the trade deadline this season, which means this is the first time that the two are not on the same NBA team.

RELATED: Tyrese Haliburton on entering All-Star Weekend in an Indy car, the 3-point contest and more

But they still have a strong relationship considering Haliburton’s immediate instinct was to call Hield and tell him just how proud he was of himself for throwing down multiple dunks on Monday.

Haliburton’s teammate Obi Toppin, a former NBA dunk contest champion, was far less impressed.

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Buddy Hield touches on offensive struggles as Sixers move forward

Buddy Hield touches on the offensive struggles for the Philadelphia 76ers as the team moves forward.

The Philadelphia 76ers are offensively challenged at the moment. Without Joel Embiid, the Sixers have had to dig deep to score and come up with wins.

The Sixers are coming off a 1-3 road trip during which they scored 102, 94, 121 and 96 points in the four games, respectively. Philadelphia had a big offensive day in the win over the Los Angeles Clippers, but it was tough sledding in the other three games.

As the Sixers return home for a game before heading back out on the road for two, Buddy Hield touched on the offensive struggles.

“We just got to play with the right mindset, sacrifice for each other, and play Sixers basketball,” Hield told reporters after the loss to the Sacramento Kings. “Tyrese (Maxey) had a good offensive night. We just got to find a way to help him and back him up. It can’t be a one-man show. We can’t just let him try to carry us every night. We got to figure out ways to help him out because he’s been tremendous for us.”

Maxey had a great start in Sacramento. He scored Philadelphia’s first 16 points and 21 in the first quarter. Hield, for example, had a tough night: He scored seven points on 3-for-9 shooting and went 0-for-6 from deep.

The Kings blitzed Maxey, but Philadelphia executed really well. However, it couldn’t knock down any of the open looks it was getting. The NBA is a make-or-miss league. Hield and the Sixers will eventually knock down those open looks and make Maxey’s life easier.

“We got to knock down shots and when it comes to it. We got to make plays for him because he’s handling the trouble over there, they’re trapping him, they’re blitzing him and he’s getting off of it, and making the right reads,” Hield added. “We got to be able to help him out there.”

The Sixers have proven shooters on this roster. It will be on them to knock down those open looks because opposing teams are going to continue to blitz Maxey until Joel Embiid returns.

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Sixers give update on Buddy Hield after leaving late in loss to Kings

The Philadelphia 76ers give an update on Buddy Hield after he left late in a road loss to the Sacramento Kings.

The Philadelphia 76ers were dealt another blow in Monday’s 108-96 loss to the Sacramento Kings. Entering the contest without Joel Embiid, De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington, they lost another key piece toward the end of the game.

Buddy Hield, who had seven points and five rebounds off the bench, limped to the locker room late in the fourth quarter. That is not a good sign for a team that’s dealing with so much at the moment. The Sixers need Hield healthy to produce with Embiid out.

“He hurt his ankle and he’s getting X-rayed right now,” coach Nick Nurse told reporters after the loss. “We’ll update that when we know.”

The Sixers later revealed Hield’s X-rays came back negative. As Philadelphia heads home for a rematch with the Los Angeles Clippers, it remains to be seen what his status will be.

If Hield is out for an extended period of time, it certainly will not help Philadelphia’s cause. It will just be another challenge and another piece of adversity the Sixers will have to overcome under the guidance of Nurse.

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Tyrese Haliburton discusses former teammate, Sixers guard Buddy Hield

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton discusses the impact of not having his former teammate, Philadelphia 76ers guard Buddy Hield around.

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Indiana Pacers hooked up at the trade deadline as sharpshooter Buddy Hield was sent to the City of Brotherly Love. The Sixers are looking forward to Hield teaming up with Joel Embiid on the floor when the big fella returns.

Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton benefited greatly from having Hield on the floor as he allowed Haliburton to have the space he needed to operate. Since the trade back on Feb. 8, Haliburton is averaging just 15.9 points and shooting 26.8% from deep.

Before the deal, Haliburton was averaging 22.5 points and shooting 39.7% from deep. It’s safe to say he misses Hield on the floor.

On an episode of “Podcast P” with Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George, Haliburton opened up on the loss of Hield (h/t FanNation):

With the trade and stuff, it’s been different, and I think on the court is obvious, right? He’s so prominent in our offense with what we do with a lot of ghost screens and the way we move. His presence shooting on the floor, that opens up a ton for me because you not going to be in as much in the gap if you’re guarding Buddy because you know how he is as a shooter. So it’s been a little different on the court, obviously. But I think off the court, it’s been kinda the biggest adjustment for me. He just has always carried this energy around him, and I think who he is as a person every day, not having that energy has been a little different.

In 19 games with the Sixers, 13 starts, Hield is averaging 13.7 points and shooting 39.7% from deep. He is still looking to find his groove in Philadelphia and his rhythm, but one has to figure that it will be easier for him when Embiid does eventually return from his meniscus procedure.

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Kyle Lowry, Buddy Hield ready for adjustments when Joel Embiid returns

Kyle Lowry and Buddy Hield are ready to make new adjustments for when Joel Embiid returns to the Philadelphia 76ers.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers brought in Buddy Hield from the Indiana Pacers and Cam Payne from the Milwaukee Bucks at the trade deadline. The Sixers then picked up Kyle Lowry in the buyout market in an effort to stay afloat until Joel Embiid returns.

Nobody knows when Embiid will return, but the Sixers hope he will return sometime in April before the playoffs begin. Whenever the reigning league MVP does return, Lowry and the rest of the Sixers will have to make adjustments on the floor.

“I haven’t had the opportunity to play with big fella and I’m looking forward to that,” said Lowry. “I’ve heard things out here and I’ve seen it. Like, I’ve seen it of course, but in person, it’s a lot different, and I think one thing that I’ve learned so far — his basketball mind is very sharp. A very, very smart basketball player. A smart individual.”

Embiid is one of the smartest players in the league. He has the ability to read the game in a certain way to make sure his teammates get involved and they get their shots and the Sixers miss him greatly.

For example, a guy like Hield is likely going to benefit the most from Embiid’s return. He is an elite shooter and he will be able to play off the big fella well.

“I know when he gets back, it will be a whole different style of basketball,” Hield said of an Embiid return. “That’s all I know. Just right now, we just trying to sustain this storm right now, until he gets back, it’s going to be a whole different style of basketball because I’ve been on the other side, where I had to prepare to guard him – and the guy is getting traps all day. So, what we are playing now is a wholly different game.”

The Sixers will certainly look to Embiid to give them more than a boost. With the big fella, Philadelphia is confident it can go on a deep playoff run. As long as he’s upright and can get time in with guys like Lowry and Hield, anything is possible.

“We just got to be patient until he is back and for me, I’m just, I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” Lowry added. “Part of the reason to come here was Tyrese (Maxey) and Joel, and those two are the big main reasons for me to be here.”

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Buddy Hield listed as ‘dream’ free agency target for Chicago Bulls

Buddy Hield could be a perfect free agency target for the Chicago Bulls.

It’s been a weird season for the Chicago Bulls this season. They started the year 5-14 and looked destined to be one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. However, they turned things around, and now, they’re going to be in the Play-In Tournament, likely taking on the Atlanta Hawks in the 9-10 games.

That said, there are a lot of areas in which the Bulls should look to improve this summer. One of which is their play behind the three-point line, as the Bulls have consistently been one of the worst shooting teams for the past few seasons with this current core.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report listed Buddy Hield as a “dream” free agency target for the Bulls this summer.

“The Bulls are in the bottom half of the league in both threes per game and three-point percentage, so a volume outside shooter like Hield (3.1 threes with a 40.1 three-point percentage for his career) would do a lot to open up the middle of the floor for LaVine and Vučević,” Bailey wrote.

Adding Hield would give Chicago a huge boost on offense.

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Buddy Hield reacts to Sixers adding big man Kai Jones on a 10-day

Buddy Hield reacts to the Philadelphia 76ers bringing in Kai Jones on a 10-day deal.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers made a move in the buyout market, taking a flier on athletic big man Kai Jones. The former 2021 first-round pick of the Charlotte Hornets played two seasons in Charlotte averaging 2.7 points and 2 rebounds across 67 games.

Coach Nick Nurse said the plan for Jones is to keep him in the G League on this 10-day deal and then evaluate him. He is still a young player who would benefit from being around Joel Embiid, Mo Bamba and Paul Reed. Those  three veterans can teach him the ropes.

Jones hails from the Bahamas just like Sixers sharpshooter Buddy Hield. The big man received a nice review from Hield.

“I saw him when he came in for his workout,” said Hield. “Kai, he was let go by the Hornets, but one thing about this league is you’re always getting another chance. I feel like coming here, he’ll get to see some of the veteran big men like Mo Bamba, Paul Reed, and if Joel comes back in time, he can see how they work.”

The biggest thing Jones can offer right now is his motor and his athleticism. The Sixers could absolutely use his ability to come up with big plays such as game-changing blocks, steals or highlight dunks. He wasn’t able to shine in Charlotte, but Philadephia offers another opportunity.

“He’s a guy that belongs in this league,” Hield added. “His athleticism is 99th-percentile athleticism. The way he plays, he’s just a freak of nature. I think he’s just got to keep staying humble and keep working.”

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