The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BUDDY Hield was relegated to the bench, but while he produced more efficient shooting performances as a reserve, the Sacramento Kings offence continued to struggle as they lost their seventh straight.

Hield finished with 13 points and a season high eight rebounds in the Kings’ 108-99 loss to the Detroit Pistons at the Little Ceasar’s Arena in Detroit, Michigan, on Saturday night. He shot 5-11 from the field, 1-3 from three-point range in 21 minutes.

It was his second game off the bench, following last Wednesday’s 113-86 loss on the road to the Boston Celtics.

In that game, Hield scored a team high 17 on his best shooting game of the year, 7-11 from the field and 2-4 from three in 27 minutes. Twelve of those points came in the fourth quarter and he also added seven rebounds and three steals.

While it is a small sample size with just two games, Hield’s production off the bench has been much more efficient than his seven games as a starter - averagining 15 points, 7.5 rebounds and shooting 50 per cent from the field.

Hield told Kings sideline reporter Kayte Christensen about his reaction to the decision to move to the bench.

“I think coach making the decision to bring me off the bench was probably the best decision,” Hield said. “I think it’s good for me, to help me, slow down a little bit and let the game come to me instead of going out and chasing it.”

The Kings exercised the option on Hield last Tuesday but hours later he finished just 2-9 from the field and finished with four points in the Kings’ 101-83 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“Buddy Hield is not this bad of a shooter, Buddy Hield’s a good shooter and he’s really struggling right now and that’s hurting our offence a little bit. But by in large, our starting lineup, whoever it is, they got to have more life By and large, the starting lineup, whoever it is, they’ve got to have more life,” Kings head coach Dave Joeger said following the game against the Pacers.

Hield is the team’s third leading scorer at 11.3 points per game but is shooting just 36 percent from the field and 26 percent from three.

He outlined the problems with his offensive output thus far in an interview with the Sacramento Bee following.

“It helps a lot, seeing the ball go in, but being more patient and when you see a few go in, that’s when your confidence rises up and you feel like the best scorer in the world. I think that I need to be a little more patient, that can also help me. I feel like I slowed down a little bit more and let the game come to me. I was a little more patient today. I think that I need to be a little more patient, that can also help me. I feel like I slowed down a little bit more and let the game come to me. I was a little more patient today,” he said, “I’ve never been through a shooting slump like this for a long time. I had previously once in college but I always had the ball in my hands where I could go get it and get out of it. In the NBA it’s hard to go get the ball because you’ve got professionals around you, guys that can score the ball, that can do things.. It’s just part of the game.You just have to lock down, focus and prepare yourself. Block out all the stuff that’s going on around you and prepare yourself to compete and make shots and try to help your team win.”

The Kings host the new-look Oklahoma City Thunder tomorrow at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.