#9 Buddy Hield
Buddy Hield is one of the unheralded successes of the 2016 NBA draft class. People have taken note of the likes of Jamal Murray, Brandon Ingram, Jaylen Brown and of course, Rookie of the Year favorite Ben Simmons, but Buddy Hield has settled into life with the Sacramento Kings pretty easily.
In 25.3 minutes of action per game on a Sacramento roster that keeps its bench players on the hardwood for much longer than the usual NBA team, Hield has averaged a decent 13.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists for the Kings this season on shooting splits of 44.6% from the field and 43.1% from 3-point range - which comprise nearly 45% of his shot attempts.
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If the Kings manage to put together a competent roster next season, expect Hield's time on the floor, scoring volume and overall impact on the game to improve enough to put him in consideration for the Most Improved Player honors. Yes, I called it this early.
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