NBA Position: SG

General Information: 22 year old senior, played at Oklahoma. From Freeport, Bahamas. Two-time Big 10 player of the Year, 2016 Sporting News Player of the Year, 2016 United States Basketball Writers Association

Measurables: 6'5", 215 pounds, 6'9.25" wingspan, 8'5" standing reach.

2014-15 Season Statistics: 28.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, .6 BPG, 3.5 TOPG (35.4 minutes per contest) -€” 50.1% FG, 88.0% FT, 45.7% 3P, 66.5% TSP

Offensive Breakdown:

While Hield has great potential as an NBA sniper, his impact as a scorer may not be immediate. His craftiness as a shooter was unrivaled in college, but he was much more predictable when he attacked the basket. He favored his step-back jumper too much—while his quick jab step/fadaway worked in college and should get him room on the perimeter in the NBA, I don't expect it'll have the same success when he's closer to the rim against NBA length.

The one major complaint against Hield I can shrug off is his turnovers; his decision making (3.0 turnovers a game, 14% turnover rate) hasn't been the best, but his role on the Sooners offense basically forces him to make tough decisions while the opposition's entire defensive scheme is built with him in mind. In the NBA, he won't be forced to carry such a big load, and even if he handles the ball as a second/third option, he's not going to have a 30% usage rate. Despite his sloppy control, he does have a wicked handle, and has a good number of moves that help him get separate from defenders.

The offensive question for Hield; how much of his non-shooting offense will transition? He's not a great distributor, and his assist numbers are near the bottom of the classes guards. While it's important to note Hield's role in Oklahoma's offense, his assist rate of 12.7% is far below what you'd like to see for a player with such a high usage rate. While I believe this will be a point of immediate development, figuring out Hield's role in an offense will take some time, especially as he adjusts from being the focal "do whatever you want at all times" role to a secondary/tertiary scoring role.

Defensive Breakdown:

Hield is an excellent scoring talent, but he's not a complete player; he doesn't have the same skills or instincts on defense, nor the consistent motivation. This latter can be somewhat explained by how much energy Hield had to expend to make Oklahoma's offense work, but his defense is the biggest immediate and long-term issue with his game. He has made strides in both his awareness and in his effort levels (even just over the past season), but he'll need significant coaching on technique. One criticism of Hield's game I don't understand is his "lack of size" -€” he's 6'5' in shoes and has a 6'9" wingspan, and was sufficiently buff enough in college. He may be a one-position defender, but once he fills in, I don't see his size being an issue against 90% of NBA two-guards.

On the glass, Hield managed a decent 13% defensive rebounding rate and 5.7 boards a game. He was able to outmuscle most NCAA guards, and was an above-average collegiate athlete, but he won't have those same advantages in the pros. Still, he's shown a willingness to battle for the glass, and he loved getting the ball so he could start the break quickly. This determination will translate to the pros, even if his size doesn't.

Intangibles:

While Hield certainly deserves the hype he's been getting, I do think we need to reign in some of the expectations. While Hield's massive improvements over his collegiate career speak to a player who will never settle for what he is, what Hield is at this moment is a great NBA shooter with little more certain in his game. His assist numbers are way below average for a guard with his usage rate, his defense will likely be a bigger immediate weakness than lottery teams will like, and he wasn't fully successful at attacking the rim. However, none of his weaknesses are things he can't overcome, and shooting skills are a major need in the NBA, especially among the teams at the top of this year's draft.

For anyone worried that Buddy will end up like a recent-shall-not-be-named Kings draft pick (who didn't have half the scoring instincts nor the sheer offensive willpower Heild possesses), I'll point to an excellent comment from an NBA scout. "One reason to believe that Buddy isn't just having a fluke senior season is that he's worked his ass off to develop a repeatable, ideal shooting form. It took him three years to get there, and I think what you see now will be what you'll get in the NBA: someone who can reliably hit 3s from the wings and corners and give you instant offense off the bench. He's also a relentlessly positive dude who has zero red flags in terms of character or work ethic."

Fit with Sacramento:

Hield's biggest weakness is his defense, and I believe it will be a rough transition. There's no reason why he can't become an adequate NBA defender in a few years, but he'll need strong coaching and constant motivation. Coach Joerger has been applauded for figuring out the best roles for his players and getting them to embrace these roles; he'd have a great opportunity with Hield, who can be much more than he is, even if he's already a legendary shooter.

In the end, Hield is unlikely to fall to Sacramento at No. 8. Hield's strengths are much-needed commodities in today's NBA, and nearly every team in the 3 to 7 range—Boston, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Denver—either desperately need or could really use a sharpshooter.

As always, check out the DraftExpress breakdowns;