Buddy Hield has long been the subject of a recurring narrative within the NBA, often summed up as the “Buddy Hield Cycle.” The cycle, as highlighted in a viral graphic, follows a familiar trajectory: Hield joins a new team, plays like a top-five shooter in the league, gradually forgets how to shoot and becomes lackluster defensively, claims to “Thank God for life, health, and strength”, and then eventually moves on to another team to start the process anew.
Hield’s 2024-25 season with the Golden State Warriors appears to be the latest example of this frustrating pattern. Let’s analyze Buddy Hield’s stats by month:
October: 21.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, shooting 49.4% from the field and 50.0% from 3-point range.
November: 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, shooting 44.8% from the field and 41.4% from 3-point range.
December: 8.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.7 assists, shooting 36.2% from the field and 30.5% from 3-point range.
January: 8.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists shooting 42.9% from the field and 35.3% from 3-point range
Hield’s fluctuating performances embody the “Buddy Hield Cycle” meme perfectly. He initially dazzled with his shooting, giving fans and analysts hope that he could be a consistent top-tier contributor. But as the months passed, his shooting efficiency plummeted, and his defensive lapses became more glaring. This inconsistency has been a recurring theme throughout his career and has led to frequent changes in teams and roles.
Even Draymond Green, a player with four championship rings who knows what it takes to win, expressed frustration with Hield’s lack of focus during critical moments. Hield’s inability to lock in consistently on both ends of the court has been a constant obstacle in his journey to becoming a truly reliable player.
Hield is currently averaging 12.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 42.9% shooting from the field and 39.0% from three-point range for the season. While these are respectable numbers, they don’t reflect the potential he flashed in October. If Hield hopes to finally escape the “full cycle” narrative, he’ll need to address his consistency issues and bring sustained effort on both ends of the court.
For now, however, the “Buddy Hield Cycle” remains alive and well, and the Warriors will need more from him if they hope to contend in a stacked Western Conference.
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