Buddy Hield has ‘no issue’ with move to bench for Sixers: ‘Sometimes change is good’

NEW YORK — When asked before Sunday’s game against the Knicks about Buddy Hield’s recent shooting struggles, 76ers coach Nick Nurse listed multiple reasons.

Sometimes, Hield has struggled to find the space to fire enough outside shots, Nurse said. Other games could be blamed on bad luck, when shots felt good coming out of his hands but just did not drop. The coach also acknowledged he is “still getting used to a lot of things [Hield] can do,” and identifying the best ways to utilize those skills within the Sixers’ current (and future) roster construction.

Perhaps that last point served as some light foreshadowing for an upcoming lineup shift. After starting his first 13 games since joining the team at the Feb. 8 trade deadline, Hield came off the bench in the Sixers’ 79-73 victory at Madison Square Garden. His unlocked efficiency stood out in what was otherwise a sluggish night on offense for both teams, scoring 16 points while shooting 4-of-6 from three-point range, with seven rebounds and three assists.

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After the game, Hield said he trusted Nurse’s decision to move him to a reserve role.

“I don’t know if it’s going to be permanent or not, but sometimes change is good,” said Hield, who is averaging 14.8 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.6 rebounds with the Sixers. “ … All these guys have started or come off the bench, so it’s not like a big problem.

“It’s not an issue. We’re NBA players, and we figure out how to adjust.”

Hield’s assessment of his teammates is correct. This was the latest in a bevy of lineup maneuvers in recent weeks, affecting every position group and nearly every player.

Several injuries have forced those tweaks. But some have been more tactical, as Nurse tries to generate improved offense and defense for a Sixers team that is 4-6 since the All-Star break and jockeying for playoff positioning while continuing to navigate life without reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid.

Nurse brought up his recent tinkering with athletic wing Kelly Oubre Jr. — who has toggled between starter and sixth man — as an example of using a “change of scenery” to try to help a player rediscover his scoring spark. Nurse added that the Sixers deliberately slowed the tempo in Sunday’s low-scoring game to “move our pieces where we wanted to” by better designating screen-setters and ballhandlers.

Nurse noticed opponents’ recent game plans have been “pretty focused” on Hield, contributing to his 35% shooting on 11.4 field-goal attempts over nine games since the All-Star break before Sunday. That has included problems converting at the rim, such as whiffing on a transition layup attempt during a disastrous first half against the New Orleans Pelicans before finishing 2-for-10 from the floor.

Those clear defensive adjustments on Hield arrived after a terrific start with the Sixers as a long-range shooter and playmaker, including a career-high 10 assists in a Feb. 14 loss to the Miami Heat. Nurse also immediately appreciated some of Hield’s more nuanced contributions, such as the way he decisively shot or kept the ball moving quickly off the catch, or created space and actions for teammates with his body by running to the opposite end of the floor.

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“He really understands it, so he’s going to make a lot of right plays,” Nurse said shortly after Hield joined the Sixers in February. “You don’t hardly ever see him make a silly play.”

So Nurse said bringing Hield off the bench Sunday was an effort to “sneak [him] in there and get [him] going,” sometimes while playing against second-team defenders. Nurse particularly liked the way Hield got open looks out of the Sixers’ “random” offense, where reading and reacting is more important than running a set play.

That propelled Hield to make six of his seven shot attempts following the first quarter, highlighted by a step-back jumper and three-pointer to lift the Sixers to a 70-61 lead with less than eight minutes remaining in the final period. Had he not briefly gone to the locker for medical attention in the fourth — a source told The Inquirer he had his right ankle checked — he could have been on the floor down the stretch.

And after the game, Hield gently dismissed a question about whether not starting affected his on-court rhythm.

“I mean, I was out of rhythm the last couple games,” Hield said. “[This change] got me back in rhythm.”

Hield was acquired to do more than help keep the Sixers’ offense afloat while Embiid is out. He is also expected to complement a fully healthy roster. Hield and fellow guard Tyrese Maxey, who is set to return from a concussion on Tuesday, can confuse defenses with their speed while running the pick-and-roll together. And whenever Embiid comes back, Hield’s outside shooting will space the floor.

For now, though, Sunday’s lineup change did reignite Hield’s offense.

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His next task is to keep himself going, whether or not that move becomes permanent.

“It’s not about starting all the time,” Hield said after the game. “As long as I go out there and get quality minutes to help this team win, that’s all that matters. I’m going to play my role.

“I know what I’m here to do, and I did it tonight.”