“Without Klay, we needed shooting. We needed shooting anyway.” It was just a few days ago when Stephen Curry praised Buddy Hield. The same, however, was considered worth it by several netizens. After all, Hield has succeeded on several levels in filling the gap left behind by Klay Thompson. Following a memorable season opener that came in the aftermath of a successful preseason, the 31-year-old’s performance on Friday has put him in the history books, earning him praise from both his peers and the Dub Nation.

As highlighted by NBA reporter Anthony Slater, Buddy Hield successfully utilized his first half to drop 24 points by going 9-11 with his field goals, and that too in just 14 minutes off the bench. This brings his count to 46 points within 29 minutes just this season. This record has allowed Hield to now become the Warriors player with the most points scored in the first 2 games coming off the bench, beating the earlier record held by Carl Landry.

Steve Kerr touched base on the newest Warriors acquisition’s performance post-game. He complimented Hield by stating, “He brings so much energy to the floor, and part of it is the way he plays, seeking those shots and seeking the 3s, and spurning the floor. He runs so hard, both directions, and sets a tone.” Highlighting the role that Hield also plays in uplifting the spirit of his teammates, Kerr deduced that “What he brings to the team goes way beyond just his shooting.”

From the looks of it, Steve Kerr isn’t the only one who seems to have gained a new appreciation for the small forward/shooting guard.

How did fans react to Buddy Hield’s historical performance?

Witnessing the stats that Hield secured to his name during the game, one netizen had to ask, “Is the Buddy currently the best shooter on the Dubs?”

Buddy Hield could not make as many shot attempts as Stephen Curry during the matchup against the Utah Jazz. However, he had a better success rate than not only Curry but all the Warriors players. His field goal percentage standing at 71.4%, and his three-pointers at 77.8% by the end of the night. Meanwhile, the game wasn’t Curry’s best, as he only held a field goal percentage of 35% and his three-pointers were at 30.8%. When taking the average from the season opener, Hield has already moved beyond his 51.9% FG and 48.7 3P% from the preseason.

One social media user decided to put the new veteran acquisition on a higher pedestal than Klay Thompson. Following the same path that many users trotted upon after Stephen Curry’s “We needed shooting anyway” remark, he went on to write “He’s already better than Klay for the past 4 seasons.”

The commentor’s remark does hold some merit. The seasons that took place between 2020 and 2024 weren’t the best of Thompson’s career. After missing the 2020-21 season entirely in light of his knee and Achilles Injuries, the player had a limited prescence during the next season and appeared in only 32 games. During the last 2 seasons, his field goal percentages stood at 43.6% and 43.2% respectively. Meanwhile, his three-point percentage was recorded at 41.2% and 38.7%. Fortunately, thanks to the memorable season opener performance he delivered with the Dallas Mavericks, the 34-year-old seems to be on the right track to improving his stats.

Hield’s recent performance indicated to one individual that the time may have come for the player to be removed from his bench role and be added to the starting five. As a result, he wrote “Start him. Kuminga can come off the bench.”

According to the Warriors Depth Chart, Jonathan Kuminga currently stands as the primary small forward, while Hield is the secondary. The 22-year-old had been quite vocal in recent days about looking for a role change from his power forward position. This had caused him to state “At the end of the day I know I’m a small forward and I can play at the highest level.” However, in the last 2 preseason games, Kuminga has only managed to make 10 and 2 points respectively, with a field goal percentage of 28.6% and three-pointers standing at 0.0%. While the Warriors have yet to lose a game this season, increasing Buddy Hield’s minutes might help prevent that loss for an extended period.

The season has barely begun, but fans have already highlighted the 31-year-old small forward/shooting guard as a potential contender for a prestigious title. If Kerr does not wish to promote Buddy Hield to the Starting Five anytime soon, that won’t be a problem for one of them. After all, he highlighted that Hield might be “Going for 6th man award.”

The recipient of the John Havlicek Trophy cannot just be anybody. After all, the player coming off the bench has to prove not only his worth on the court, but also win over the panel of sportswriters and broadcasters who vote on the recipient. With an average of 24.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, Hield seems to be performing better for now when compared to last year’s performance of the 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year recipient: Naz Reid. With the Warriors being in focus in light of Klay Thompson’s exit, Hield continuing to perform better will automatically win him the approval of several sports media personalities.

Overall, the reactions were wholly positive towards Buddy Hield.