BROOKLYN – Few college players have seen their draft stock and popularity ascend as rapidly as that of Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield in 2015-16. After being relatively unknown to casual basketball fans through his junior season, Hield opted to return to college for his senior campaign and became an NCAA star, culminating with multiple national Player of the Year awards and a trip to the Final Four by the Sooners. Hield averaged 25.0 points per game, ranking second in the country, and was lethal from three-point range, connecting on 45.7 percent of his attempts. He compiled 14 games in which he drained five or more treys, a skill he figures to rely on in a league that’s steadily becoming more perimeter-oriented. New Orleans ranked ninth in the league in 2015-16 in three-point percentage at 36.0, but some of the Pelicans who contributed to that statistic are entering July 1 free agency.
The sixth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft took time to discuss his entry to the NBA and some of the aspects of his unusual background. When he makes his pro debut, he’ll become just the fourth-ever player born in the Bahamas to appear in an NBA game. Hield coincidentally said he will wear uniform No. 24 with the Pelicans, the same digits he sported at Oklahoma.
Pelicans.com: There is now an annual conversation before the draft about the pros and cons of selecting four-year players vs. one-and-dones, with you being one of the most prominent four-year collegians in this draft class. Do you think you have some advantages as a 22-year-old compared to perhaps a 19-year-old coming to the NBA?
Hield: I’m more mature when I go to an organization. I’ve been at the point (early in his Oklahoma college career) where I was sitting on the bench, and worked my way up. So my mind is right. I’m more mature on the court and see things differently now. As I get older, I continue to see more and more. I’m more experienced now. I’m a grinder. I’ve been grinding my whole life. Whatever task is in front of me, I’m going to try to accomplish it.
Pelicans.com: Are there any similarities between your career and that of Providence guard and No. 5 overall draft pick Kris Dunn, another player who spent four years in college?
Hield: Kris is a tough kid from a tough background. He has an amazing story. He’s motivated. He’s hungry, just like me. When you have a guy who’s hungry, you can’t (pick) against him. When you’re self-motivated and driven, you want guys like that, guys who compete every night. They come in and work right away. No disrespect to the younger guys, but with the older guys, you know what you’re going to get out of them.
Pelicans.com: In some of the media conversation about the draft, it’s become almost a negative to be in the draft at an “older” age. Is it harder for four-year players to get attention or the same respect from NBA teams?
Hield: Maybe if you don’t work hard. I worked hard and put the work in. The GMs have been doing this for a long time. So they know who can play and who cannot play in this league.
Pelicans.com: Damian Lillard was a recent example of a four-year guy who came in to the league and won Rookie of the Year. Is that a goal for you?
Hield: That’s the plan. That’s the first goal I have, to be Rookie of the Year. But the league is tough. It’s a grind. You have to compete with LeBron James and Steph Curry, those guys, night in and night out. You can’t take a night off. You just have fun, be humble, but continue to work.
Pelicans.com: Some draft analysts listed defense as an area that needs improvement for you. How did you try to show teams your defensive abilities leading up to draft night?
Hield: I didn’t show my defensive abilities (in demonstrative fashion as a senior), but my freshman year I had to play defense to get on the court. In the NBA, guards are two-way players. If you want to be successful, you have to go get it.
Pelicans.com: What areas do you want to improve?
Hield: A lot of different areas. I can work on my post game, footwork, a lot of things. There is always something you can work on. You keep getting better. (Even) Michael Jordan still kept getting better, so you can never say that you can’t better. It’s about how much work you put in.
Pelicans.com: You’ve mentioned your appreciation for Kobe Bryant, who just retired as you begin your NBA career. Which players are you looking forward to going against as a rookie?
Hield: Every two-way guard. Every night there is somebody (difficult) to face. You’ve got to compete all 82 games – there is no one you can take a night off against. You have to go after everyone if you’re trying to be the best in the league. You have to compete each and every night.
Pelicans.com: As has been discussed at length over the past year, your background as a native of the Bahamas is a unique one for the NBA. The Caribbean countries tend to produce players in other sports. How did you decide to play basketball and focus on this sport instead of some of the others that may be more popular?
Hield: When I was 12, 13 years old, I fell in love with the game. I saw Kobe Bryant play. I wanted to be a part of it. I was not the best (player at first), but I kept working and working.
