Sacramento Kings third-year guard Buddy Hield has certainly had quite a breakout year thus far. The Kings have far exceeded preseason expectations, and it is without question that the 26-year-old has been pivotal in the team's achievements this season.
Hield recently spoke with Jason Jones of The Athletic, and the 6-foot-4 shooting guard shared that Kings legend Peja Stokjakovic has apparently played a crucial role in his development this season.
“Peja’s been a big part of my success this year, him talking back-and-forth, things I need to accomplish and how I can be an effective scorer,” Hield said. “Him and Vlade have always been in my head, constantly telling me how I can be effective. Hats off to them. They paved the way and getting the record from Peja, he left a mark on this franchise, it’s pretty big and it’s something special and I hope I can keep it for many years.”
The icing on the cake for Hield is how he passed Stojakovic for the most three-pointers made in a season for the Kings as he led Sacramento to a 112-103 victory against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday. Hield dropped another seven three-pointers against the Suns, en route to an impressive 25-point performance. The former sixth overall pick also logged seven rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block in 36 minutes of action.
Stojakovic is unquestionably one of the best shooters we've ever seen in the league. In 13 seasons in the NBA, the 6-foot-9 wing boasts averages of 17.0 points (on 45.0 percent shooting), 2.2 three-pointers, 4.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.9 steals. The three-time All-Star spent seven and a half seasons with the Kings, and was part of arguably one of the most successful teams in the organization's history.
Peja is definitely one of the best, and surely, Hield's recent achievement is certainly something worth writing about.
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