By Kevin McCormick, Sports Talk Philly Editor 
Buddy Hield has been a name tied to the Sixers for months now. It seems like with the way that it has been talked about that the move is inevitable. With that being said, it begs the question if adding a guy like Hield puts the Sixers in the mix to be a serious favorite to win an NBA championship.
I would say that answer is yes. Hield would fit on the Sixers like a glove and is the perfect kind of guard to pair with Ben Simmons in the backcourt. Not to mention off the court fits that would make him a great addition to the Sixers.
Before the season came to a screeching halt Hield was averaging 19.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 3.1 APG. On top of that he was second in the league in three-pointers made with 244, and was shooting 39.5% on 9.7 attempts a game.
Ben Simmons had the most assists on three-pointers made this year. Now imagine pairing him with the guy who had the second most made threes this year (244) in Buddy Hield. Can’t imagine how well they would thrive together. pic.twitter.com/uehhSaLGOW
— Kevin McCormick (@KevinMcCSports) April 12, 2020
Hield is a perfect fit for the Sixers on those numbers alone. Lack of three-point shooting was the Achilles heel of the Sixers and Hield gives you that in bunches. This season Hield played in 64 games and hit at least five three-pointers in 23 of them. Including one game where he erupted for 11 makes from deep.
Having a guy on the floor like Hield would benefit Ben Simmons greatly. As we know his reluctance to shoot the ball from deep has been a major storyline surrounding the Sixers. But having a shooter like Hield on the floor who shoots at the volume he does will help make Simmons’ weaker part of his game less apparent.
He compliments the team’s other cornerstone as well. Floor spacing was nothing short of a mess this season which limited Joel Embiid’s game on the offensive side of the ball. Swapping out Al Horford and adding Buddy Hield would open the floor greatly for Embiid. It would also give Embiid a knockdown shooter to kick the ball out to when defenses collapse on him in the post.
We saw the connection that Embiid and JJ Redick had during Redick’s tenure in Philadelphia. Hield could be the same kind of player for the Sixers but better. The dribble hand-off between Hield and Embiid could be lethal with Hield’s ability to attack the rim as well as shoot the lights out from deep.
Character is another thing that would make Hield a great addition to the team. Before the season being suspended Hield had recently transitioned from being a starter for the Kings to become the sixth man. This is something that seems rather small, but it says a lot about the kind of guy Hield is.
This move showed that he is willing to make sacrifices to help his team. Having a guy like that in the locker is always great. It shows that he is hungry and wants to win, but is also willing to make changes or sacrifices to get there.
As Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are approaching their prime seasons the organization must put the proper pieces around them to maximize their potential. Hield checks a lot of boxes of the kind of player to pair with the All-Star duo.
It is not going to be easy convincing a team to take on Al Horford and his remaining contract. But if Elton Brand can ship him to Sacramento in return for Hield it is certainly a move that would open the Sixers’ championship window even more.
