The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

SPORTING a new look as his New Orleans Pelicans travelled to China, Buddy Hield has displayed his trademark sharpshooting skill in exhibition play that the organisation expects him to bring in the regular season.

Through three preseason games thus far, Hield has averaged 17 points, 2.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 40 per cent from three, 53 per cent from the field.

With his trademark mohawk gone in favour of a more conventional haircut, Hield’s focus was away from the court as he spoke about the Bahamas’ resilience facing storms as Hurricane Matthew approached.

“It’s a scary time, when you have a hurricane coming to the Bahamas. People work hard down there. I’ve been through a lot of bad storms that tore up the whole island, and you have to rebuild from scratch. I just pray to God and pray for the Bahamas that Matthew doesn’t do too much damage down there,” he said when asked about Matthew’s possible impact on the Bahamas,

“I used to talk to my mom, and back then you liked when there was a storm, because there was no school, being a kid. But now as you get older and you experience hurricanes, it’s not a good time, because it hurts people financially, causes deaths, flooding, the winds tear houses apart. There are poles crashing on houses. There are so many things that can go wrong during a hurricane. You always hope that it doesn’t affect people badly. I pray God keeps blessing the Bahamas and protects the Bahamas.”

The Pelicans complete their tour of China as a part of the NBA’s Global Games with their second matchup against the Houston Rockets tomorrow at 6:30am local time.

Hield made his preseason debut and finished with 19 points in the Pelicans’ 116-102 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the CenturyLink Center in Bossier City, Louisiana. He also added six rebounds, three assists and shot 8-12 from the field, including 3-6 from beyond three-point range.

In game two, Hield scored a team high 18 points, shot 50 per cent from the field and 40 per cent from three-point range in a 113-96 loss to the Indiana Pacers at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans Louisiana.

Over in China, Hield finished with 14 points two rebounds and three assists in a 123-117 loss at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China.

Hield updated fans on his experience in China through a series called “Pelicans Postcards” published on the team’s website.

“We’ve now been here for a few days, and it’s been amazing to visit China for the first time, seeing all the love the people here have and passion for basketball. We’d heard about it before, but now you get to see it for yourself up close and connect with the fans. The fans here obviously don’t get to see you every day, because it’s a long ways from America. It’s great for us to be able to give back in this way to the game of basketball.”

Hield, one of five international players on the New Orleans roster, joined former Pelican and Bahamian descendent, Eric Gordon, to host an event at the first ever NBA Play Zone in Shanghai.

“It was unbelievable to be around the kids – the majority of them were under 10 years old – because you see how much they keep up with basketball, and to realize that they even recognize us at such a young age. It shows how connected they are with the players in America. We are role models, so we’re trying to do whatever we can to inspire them. It’s great to see that the game is growing so much,” he said, “When I was growing up, I remember seeing famous athletes come and spend time with us in the Bahamas. Now it’s my turn to do the same, because kids look up to us. They were excited just to be in our presence, and it made it so much fun to spend some time with them. When we were at the NBA Play Zone, I saw local kids who were only 5 or 6 that had incredible ballhandling skills, especially for someone that young. That’s great, because it shows the intense level of training they get here. Kids want it.”

As usual, he’s also took the opportunity to continue his role as an ambassador for the Bahamas.

“I’ve also been meeting many, many fans in Shanghai. They’ve been so friendly and so supportive. Outside our hotel, there are always people waiting for autographs or to take pictures, so I’ve stopped by and said hello as much as possible on my way to practices and events. I’ve even gotten some of them to shout out the Bahamas in videos I’ve taken with my phone… 242 to the world!”

Following his debut, Hield said his goal was to be more patient in his adjustment to the NBA level.

“Yeah, don’t rush it,” Hield said of his performance. “Let it come to you. The ball will find you. Coach always says the ball will find you if you’re [in] the right spots. Once you give the ball up, it comes right back to you, and you’re [not] taking a contested shot to a wide-open shot. So that’s cool. ... I’m just learning as I go.”

‘’Whatever coach needs me to do, I’ll have to come with intensity,’’ Hield said. ‘’I just need to be efficient and let the game come to me.’’

Hield has improved on his Summer League performance in Las Vegas.

He averaged 16.8 points, 5.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds through five games but struggled shooting at just 34 per cent from the field and 24 per cent from three-point range.

“I think he had his moments,” Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry said,”Obviously, he shot the ball well and made some plays. I just think it’s typical. He’s a rookie. He’s going to have games like this, and he’ll struggle in some games. The thing I liked best about it is that he always gives maximum effort. And as long as he gives maximum effort, I think there will be some chance for him to have some success.”