Buddy Hield sets Indiana Pacers franchise record for three pointers made in single season
Wednesday night, Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield set the Pacers franchise record for three pointers made in a single season. He reached 230 made threes on the season by canning six outside shots in a win over the Chicago Bulls.
Fittingly, Hield did it in the most Hield way possible. He struggled in the first half, missing every single one of his shot attempts, but couldn't miss in the second half. He made all of his half dozen triples on the night in the second half to reach the milestone, and all of his 27 points in the evening came during the final two quarters. Once he saw one go down — which he banked in — Hield never looked back.
"It's a blessing," Hield said after the game of breaking the record. He credited his teammates for getting him the ball and helping him get chances from deep.
Hield passed legendary Pacer Reggie Miller with his record-setting season. It took him only 60 games to break the old record, which Miller set in 1996-97. That season featured a shorter, 22 foot three-point line in the NBA. Hield is having perhaps the best shooting season, by all metrics, in Pacers history.
He's currently knocking down 42.6% of his shots from deep on the year, which essentially matches Miller's 42.7% from the previous record-setting season. Hield has made a three in all but two games this season, and he leads the NBA in made threes at the All-Star break. He has been phenomenal all campaign long as a shooter, and it's made him a key piece for the blue and gold.
"It was a rough night to that point, and then we just caught a little magic there," Carlise said of Hield banking in his first three. "Buddy is going to go down as a historically great shooter in this league."
Hield has long been interested in the art of outside shooting. Growing up in the Bahamas, he tirelessly worked on the craft, and he learned how to put the right amount of arc on his jumper. As he developed as a player, he realized that shooting was a strength of his.
As time progressed, he began to study some of the best shooters in the NBA. Golden State's Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry are two players that he watched often, both for their ability to get open and release threes but also to observe the volume of three-point shots they attempted. Their abilities influenced Hield's skills.
At the University of Oklahoma, Hield made 39% of his 894 threes. In the NBA, his shooting prowess continued. He has all of the top three three-point shooting seasons in Sacramento Kings history, and now he has the top outside shooting season in Indiana Pacers history. As the league has evolved and become more about spacing, Hield has been one of the best at ushering in the new, more three-point centric era.
"He's obsessed with the art of shooting. And when you're obsessed with something, and you work at it, and you have the ability to go along with it, you can change the game," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. "There's a reason he's leading the league in three-point makes."
Being mentioned in the same breath as Reggie Miller when it comes to three-point shooting is an impressive feat, and it's not one that Hield takes likely. It's an incredible accomplishment, and there's a reason that it took over a quarter century for the previous record to fall.
"Passing a legend like Reggie, in Indiana, shows a testament to my hard work," Hield said.
Hield has a meticulous routine. Before every game, he grabs the rim and almost constantly holds a basketball. He says it keeps his hands warm, which is vital to maintaining his rhythm. During the game, he takes the ball from officials for a few moments before handing it back just to feel the leather.
He gets shots up constantly and is in perpetual motion on the perimeter. He is often one of the last guys in the gym after Pacers practices as he gets shots up. Hield's day-to-day is unique, but it leads to a high level of success.
"I know I annoy the refs a lot doing it," Hield joked of his routine. "That's my feeling with feeling comfortable with the basketball... it's weird, but that's how I work."
Everything Hield does matters to his success, and his success is vital to Indiana playing well on offense. Now, he is a Pacers franchise record holder, and he passed a legend to get it done. He's got 22 more games to extend his lead in the record books.
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