The Chicago Bulls have been one of the worst teams in the league this year. Caleb Wilson has definitely been a bright spot, but for the most part, the Bulls have been a disappointment. One of the defining traits of the Bulls this year has been their three-ball, and if that’s going to continue to be the case, Buddy Hield needs more minutes.
Thiago Splitter is putting a lot of faith in the Bulls’ three-point shooting. Their 42.0 three-point attempts per game is the fourth-highest mark in the NBA through the first few games. Yet the Bulls are shooting just 23.8% on deep balls. That ranks dead last in the entire league. Something isn’t working.
Hield is one of the best three-point shooters in recent NBA history. But he’s not playing a ton for the Bulls right now. If Chicago is going to keep leaning into shooting lots of threes, Hield should play more minutes.
Bulls need to give Buddy Hield more minutes
Obviously, Hield, whom the Bulls acquired in a trade this summer, isn’t in the prime of his career. He’s 33 years old. The Bulls are a rebuilding team, and at this point, they should definitely be prioritizing player development over giving minutes to veterans.
But if the Bulls are going to shoot a lot of threes, it would be beneficial to have Hield on the floor. Not just for the sake of winning, but for the sake of player development.
Guys like Wilson, Matas Buzelis, and Josh Giddey would benefit from playing alongside more three-point floor spacing, especially if Splitter’s goal is to take a ton of threes.
Plus, developing a winning culture would definitely help the young players learn what it takes to compete at the highest level in the league. Giving the game more three-point shooting – for a team that’s using that as its style – would help that.
Only one player on the entire Bulls roster is shooting above 35% from three so far this season. Can you guess who it is? Yup, you got it. It’s Hield. And he’s clocking in at an impressive 41.7% from deep on 3.0 attempts per game in just 14.5 minutes.
Yes, playing Hield more minutes would mean taking some away from some younger players. From guys who could probably use the developmental playing time.
But it would also help put the Bulls in a better position to succeed with their current play style. And in turn, that would help develop good habits for Wilson and Buzelis early in their careers.
Hield needs to play more minutes if the Bulls are going to shoot this many threes per game.
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