LAS VEGAS -- Before Buddy Hield made or missed a shot at NBA summer league, before he ever took a 3-pointer from college range or NBA range or Buddy Hield range, his new coach, Alvin Gentry, was already prepared for the outcome.
“I’m not gonna get overly excited if he gets 30 tonight,” Gentry said after the New Orleans Pelicans’ morning shootaround, “and I’m not going to get overly excited if he goes 3-for-17.”
Close. Hield, a Steph Curry undercard last season at Oklahoma shooting 3s at a 46 percent clip, shot 5-for-20 from the field.
“Five-for-20?” Hield asked, seeking to confirm what he had just heard. “That’s horrible.”
In total, the sixth overall pick finished with 13 points (including 1-for-8 from 3), six rebounds, four turnovers, four fouls and two assists in 32 minutes of the Pelicans’ 85-65 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at the Thomas & Mack Center. His trademark grin, however, persevered.
“I’ve got to smile after I shoot the ball like that,” he said.
Hield’s renowned range is hardly a secret after his meteoric senior season. So the Lakers, with a roster replete with talent from the past two draft classes -- including the past two No. 2 overall picks -- forced him to show what else he could do. Los Angeles amped up the ball pressure on Hield, guarding him well beyond the 3-point arc, to make Hield beat them by putting the ball on the floor. Early in the first quarter, for instance, Hield dribbled the ball off his foot while Anthony Brown sidled him up the court.
“They really played aggressive on me,” Hield said. “They know the type of caliber of player I was at. They didn’t want me to get off. They were really aggressive; I’m always used to guys being aggressive. That was probably the first time I’ve shot like that in maybe two years. So I’m just getting used to the game, getting used to the physicality of the game. So next time I’ll know what to do.”
While summer league rarely reflects the realities presented in a real NBA game -- including the lack of Anthony Davises to draw doubles and open up looks for shooters -- Pelicans summer-league coach Robert Pack agreed that the defensive approach could force Hield into the next evolution of his repertoire.
“We know that that’s something he wants to work on,” Pack said. “We’ve even talked about it. It’s a good test for him. It’s a good example of how people will probably play him because he can shoot so well.”
The 22-year-old did show a willingness to pass, including after darting into the lane on a slick crossover in the first half before just missing fellow rookie Cheick Diallo on the other side of the paint. And he looked comfortable in transition, including on his lone highlight on the night: an inside-out dribble at the top of the key, a snaking of the ball by one defender’s swipe and an aerialist-like contortion to get around the tree-trunk-ish Ivica Zubac. But his night on the whole felt off a step -- a pass too late or missed its target, an inability to power through physical defense, a shot erased at the rim by the Lakers’ lengthy back line -- and Hield could feel it, too.
“The game was a lot faster than I thought it would be,” he said. “When you’re playing in practice, when you’re getting buckets against [your own team]. When you really get out there and see everybody watching and it’s a different pace. But it’s something I can learn from. That’s what summer league is for: It’s for me to get better. I had a lot of great looks and great opportunities. But I’m gonna get them back.”
Hield, though disappointed by his performance, seemed almost enthusiastic to have something else to work on going forward.
“I know this is a bad first start, bad first impression for everyone to see me, but it is what it is,” Hield said. “Stuff like this motivates me each and every day to be the best that who I am and this game will just help me to get better and learn from. I’m not worried one bit. I know I’m a confident guy.”
Gentry, meanwhile, watched his prized rookie from the sidelines with a crew of Pelicans execs and coaches. While he was ready for any result, he also stepped in for a teaching moment at halftime.
“Be patient. Be patient and stay under control,” Hield said Gentry told him. “He just said keep on attacking and being aggressive. Don’t worry if they block my shot. Stuff like that. I’m a competitor. They’re not gonna get mad if I do what I’m supposed to do. It’s a learning curve for me, so I’m just gonna enjoy the process.”