2016 NBA Draft: Where will Buddy Hield end up on draft day?

Don’t be surprised to see Buddy Hield‘s name come off the 2016 NBA Draft board in the top five.

As the NCAA Tournament winds down, it is time to come to terms with the fact that this year’s cream of the crop will, for the most part, be heading off to the NBA.

At the beginning of the season, scouts seemed to dismiss Buddy Hield’s ability to score the basketball. Even after his 46 point game at Kansas, DraftExpress.com projected Hield as a late first-rounder. Now, Hield is projected to go 7th overall to the Sacramento Kings, but I think he has potential to climb even higher.

One of the major concerns that hindered Hield’s draft stock was his size. Hield is listed at just under 6’5″, which leaves him pretty undersized for an NBA shooting guard. What he lacks in height, Hield makes up for in raw talent.

Of course, when you think of Hield, you think of his incredible shooting ability. Hield shot a remarkable 46% from beyond the arc and his range extends far beyond that line. He also shot nearly 90% from the free throw line, so there in no denying that Hield has a pure stroke.

However, one of the most lethal aspects of Hield’s game is his ability to shoot in transition. Whether its pulling up off the dribble or spotting up on the break, Hield has proven he can knock down shots with a high degree of difficulty. With the increased emphasis on the three-ball in today’s NBA, Hield becomes a much more enticing player for scouts.

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Hield is also a threat to score inside the arc as well. His solid build allows him to finish strong in the lane and I don’t see much changing as he moves to the next level. Hield is a solid 215 pounds and he is explosive off the dribble.

He is also extremely crafty once he gets in the lane. He can finish with both hands, and his pure athleticism helps him complete some acrobatic finishes.

However, what separates Hield from the rest of the pack are his intangibles. Time and time again, Hield has shown that he can perform under the spotlight. If his 46 point outing against the Kansas Jayhawks wasn’t enough, look at his performance throughout the course of this NCAA Tournament.

Hield is averaging 29.2 points per game in the tournament. The only game he did not post at least 20 points was against Texas A&M. Of course, lets not forget his 37 point performance against the West Region’s resident No. 1 seed, the Oregon Ducks.

To say Hield has put the team on his back in the postseason would be an understatement. He has shot 70% from inside the arc and 47% behind it. The Sooners may not have even survived the first round, in which Cal State Bakersfield gave the Sooners somewhat of a scare.

But where exactly will Hield end up? Plenty of teams could use a two guard, but I really don’t see Hield falling outside the top 10. The Sacramento Kings already have a prospect in Ben McLemore, so it wouldn’t really make much sense for him to go to Sacramento.

The Denver Nuggets could use a solid two guard to compliment Emmanuel Mudiay in the back-court. Surely, those two together with Jusuf Nurkic would give the Nuggets a lot to look forward too.

However, I’m not so sure the Nuggets will end up getting a high enough pick to grab Hield. They currently have the 8th worst record in the NBA, so maybe if they luck-out in the lottery they can steal the Oklahoma star.

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Of course, the Los Angeles Lakers are also looking for a replacement for Kobe Bryant. The Lakers currently have the second worst record in the league, which may be too early for Hield to see his name called. But hey, you can’t deny that it would be pretty intriguing to see LA replace one of the best natural scorers of all time with arguably the best natural scorer in the 2016 draft class.

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