Let me take you back to the wonderful year of 2019: Tik Tok was not widely considered a personality trait, COVID-19 had yet to impact our lives, and, oh yes, the Kings were playing well.
The latter was largely due to great coaching and a dynamic backcourt tandem of De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield who put the league on notice with their up-tempo offense and Hield’s marksmanship.
But oh, how times have changed. In just one year, the Kings went from heroes to zeroes in the blink of an eye. Fox spent a large portion of last season injured while Buddy Hield succumbed to the pressure of carrying the scoring load, leading to drama, a benching, and a desire to leave Sacramento.
Many wondered when, not if, Buddy would be traded. He was seemingly liking every post on Instagram that had him in any jersey but the Kings.
Less than a month ago, Kings fans were waiting to see what trade offer McNair would take to free Buddy from the confines of Sacramento. However, an unlikely turn of events occurred when the Kings declined to match Bogdan Bogdanovic’s offer from the Hawks.
Now, with Buddy supposedly back in the starting lineup, the drama from him and his camp has faded away and McNair has said that he has talked with Buddy’s camp and said that they are on the same page.
With shooting at its highest value in today’s league, McNair sees Hield’s worth and is smart enough to do what it takes to keep him around.
Buddy Hield fits the puzzle for Sacramento and Kings fans should be ecstatic that he’s still on the team. Moreover, it seems he will once again line up nicely with the team’s system.
Although last season was a down year for both the team and Buddy Hield, the Kings still have the pieces and youth to regain their fast-paced and exciting form.
A rejuvenated Buddy playing next to a maximum extension Fox along with a healthy Bagley can truly shock the league. I wouldn’t count the Kings out quite yet. The magic and wonders of 2019 can surely happen again.
