The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BUDDY Hield equalled his season high in scoring, but his New Orleans Pelicans continue to struggle with just a single win on the season thus far.

Hield finished with 18 points on 61 per cent shooting (8-13) from the field in the Pelicans’ 126-99 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at the Smoothie King in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday night.

After a slow start to his rookie season, Hield has started to find his way in the NBA, hitting at least one three-pointer in seven straight games in November while averaging 12.6 points, 3.3 boards and 1.9 threes.

He made just one three pointer against the Lakers, but showed a more versatile offensive repertoire.

“I’m not worried about it. I work everyday on shooting and I make tons of shots everyday and I’ll get it. It happens to the best. A lot of players come into this league and didn’t shoot the ball well their first go around so it’s whatever. If my shot’s not falling, I’m mixing it up now,” Hield said. “Talking to guys around the league they’re just saying you can’t settle, you’ve got to stay aggressive and that’s what I’m doing now – finding my way to attack the basket and using my shot as a threat, they still have to respect because they know I’m capable of making it so, I’m just mixing it up now.”

On the season Hield is averaging 10.9 points and three rebounds per game while shooting 38 per cent from the field and 24 per cent from three.

His game against the Lakers was his best shooting performance of the season but his Pelicans continue to struggle and dropped to just 1-9 on the season.

“We should have gotten better man, there’s no excuse for that we just need much more effort like coach said just going out there and competing. There’s no excuse for not competing hard. We have to do a better job of competing and having fun out there.

“I was watching this Laker team for the last 3-4 years, they were losing games too and they were just like us with young players and I feel like we can turn the tables just like they turned the tables,” Hield said. “We just have to find that rhythm and get our swagger. We have to get that swagger back like they did when they made those playoff runs with AD those and Jrue. The season is still young but we have to turn it around, we have to be professionals. That’s our job, we just have to go out there and do it. It’s frustrating because I’m not used to losing. This many losses in a row it’s never happened to me before in my life. Lots of pros go through, we just have to find a way. There are growing pains you have to go through to be successful in this league. I’m just going to go and keep competing as hard as I can and whenever coach asks me to go out there and do I’ll do and go produce.”

The Pelicans seek their second win of the season tonight when they face the Boston Celtics at 8pm local time in the Smoothie King Center.

Hield is finding his way through his rookie season after coming in projected to be one of the favourites for the Kia Rookie of the Year award. “It all comes down to confidence and being confident enough to make different moves,” Hield said. “In the league you see these guys everyday that you watched play on television and you get stuck in a daze, once you get out of that daze you realise it’s just regular basketball and you go back to competing. I’m trying to be where the Lakers are at and be on that winning side.”