Sacramento Kings shooting guard Buddy Hield has been named the NBA’s Western Conference Rookie of the Month for March, the league announced Monday. Hield finished the month of March averaging 14.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Buddy did this while shooting 48.3% from the field and 42.5% from three and a True Shooting percentage of 61.1.

Many of us Kings fans were upset at Buddy being the centerpiece of the return the Kings got in exchange for DeMarcus Cousins. Hield had been ok in New Orleans, but hadn’t really lived up to his predraft hype. Since coming to Sacramento, though, Buddy has exceeded our expectations.

Ultimately, we know that Rookie of the Month awards don’t mean much, but it’s really nice to see Buddy’s impressive play be recognized. He looks to be the Kings shooting guard of the future, and has steadily improved the longer he’s been with the Kings. The award is nice, but the future is what I’m even more excited about.