Ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ regular-season finale, Buddy Hield spoke to the media following a Saturday practice. Heading into his 84th game of the 82-game regular season, Hield was focused on the upcoming season finale and the challenge ahead of his first taste of the playoffs.
Since coming to Philadelphia at the NBA trade deadline, Hield’s time with the Sixers has been, at times, hot and cold. After thriving over his first four games in Philadelphia, Hield saw his game come a bit closer to Earth and, at times, even struggled to find his role with the Sixers’ ever-changing rotation. Despite this, he has remained committed to providing whatever the team asks and needs of him.
On multiple occasions, Hield has stated that patience has been key for him this season. Trying to find your place in a new environment is never easy, and that is even truer in the pressure-filled environment of the NBA. Maintaining patience across the entirety of an NBA season is almost counterintuitive, especially for a player whose team relies on his quick trigger.
Hield addressed the dichotomy, saying:
“When opportunity comes to you, fire away. The coaches see me working on that now. Working on quick opportunities because the opportunities, let’s say limited, because you have Joel and Tyrese with Tobias, Kelly. You gotta make the right play and still trust it. When the opportunity comes, you gotta be able to fire it and lock it down.“
As they approach the postseason with high hopes, the Sixers will rely on Hield to seize those opportunities as they make a deep run.
