SAN FRANCISCO – The NBA is a Stay Ready league. Typically, younger players are reminded their time can come at any moment. 

On Saturday night in the Warriors’ 136-116 win against the Charlotte Hornets, 33-year-old Buddy Hield was the recipient of the reminder. 

Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted Hield wasn’t expected to play against the Hornets before a wrench was thrown into his plans right as players were about to walk onto the court. Nobody, not even Hield’s coach, could have predicted he’d be a plus-10 in 17 minutes off the bench with 14 points, three rebounds, one assist, three blocked shots and two steals. 

“It was great. He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever seen,” Kerr said. “Just the way he conducts himself. His energy, his joy — whether he’s playing or not — it’s just the light that he brings to the locker room every day is infectious and powerful. He’s just an incredible guy to coach. I was happy for him that he had that night given that he’s been out of the loop for a while.”

Hield in the past month has been a healthy DNP-CD (Did Not Play, Coach’s Decision) in seven games and has come off the bench in the first quarter just three times in that span prior to playing the Hornets. Those three games were Dec. 18 when Hield played 10 minutes and scored three points in a one-point loss against the Phoenix Suns, Dec. 28 when he played 14 minutes and scored three points in an overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors, and Jan. 2 when he played 24 minutes and scored 11 points in a 37-point loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

All three of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green didn’t play in the Warriors’ blowout loss to the Thunder two weeks ago. The Warriors already were going to have to replace the impact Gui Santos makes after losing him to a sprained ankle last game, but a last-second change opened a door, and Hield took advantage of his opportunity. 

Confusion rang throughout Chase Center as rookie Will Richard, not Butler, began the game in the Warriors’ starting five. Butler was announced in the starting lineup during pregame player introductions and then was not on the floor or the bench at tipoff. The Warriors a few minutes into the first quarter announced Butler was ruled out for what they deemed personal reasons. 

Mike Dunleavy told Steve Kerr that everything is OK with Jimmy Butler, who was a last-second scratch because of personal reasons

— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) January 18, 2026

Butler’s late scratch is the sole reason Hield ever saw the floor. He got his chance and ran with it to the finish line. 

After three other bench players had entered the game for the Warriors, Hield surprisingly strode to the scorer’s table with a little more than three minutes remaining in the first quarter and immediately was given some tough luck. Hield’s first shot attempt one game removed from his latest DNP was a grenade airball 3-point attempt at the end of the shot clock. 

The game rewards hustle, heart and effort — three aspects Hield always brings if his number is called. That sure was the case in a minute-long stretch at the end of the first quarter.

In that span, Hield made a tip shot off an offensive rebound, stole a bad pass by Tidjane Salaun, blocked LaMelo Ball’s running layup and swatted Kon Knueppel two straight times at the rim. Bringing shock to surprise, Hield in a blink tied his career high of three blocked shots in a single game. He had three blocked shots total this season coming into Saturday night. 

A steal in the second quarter gave Hield his eighth multi-steal game of the season. The Warriors had five blocked shots and five steals in the first half, and Hield had his hands on three of the blocked shots and two of the steals.

The main reason Hield had fallen completely out of the rotation was that his legendary 3-point shot had abandoned him. Hield shot 37 percent from three his first season with the Warriors last year and was at 39.7 percent for his career entering Year 10, but that number tumbled down a treacherous hill to a lowly 32.4 percent ahead of Saturday night’s win. With more minutes came two triples for Hield, and the second had the swagger of someone who has knocked down more than 2,100 3-pointers over a decade in The Association. 

As Ball jumped out at Hield in the right corner and extended his left arm at him, the sharpshooter took one pound dribble and let it go like he has thousands of times. Curry screamed and got off his chair, and a smiling Kerr smacked him on the leg while Hield gave an “ice in his veins” gesture to the Warriors’ bench. 

“Tough angle, tough shot, but that’s what he does,” Curry said. 

Along with the beatdown loss from the Thunder, the Warriors’ win over the Hornets was the second game Hield has played 18 minutes in the last month. You’d have to go back even further to find when he reached 14 points: Dec. 4 in Philadelphia. That’s a number he had gotten to just four times this season before being one of four bench players to score in double figures against the Hornets. 

The last player on the Warriors’ practice court Friday getting extra shots up is the same who watched all of Thursday’s win from the bench but readied himself just in case for Saturday. It’s who is still cracking jokes and bringing life to the locker room. It’s who is going to cheer on every one of his teammates even if he continues to be out of the mix. 

“When you stay professional, when you stay locked in, continue to get your work in and your number’s called, you just want to always make sure you’re ready for it. To Buddy’s credit, he’s been the exact same every day,” Green applauded. “Loud as hell, joking, smiling, walk in and energy fills the room, says what’s up to everybody. Nothing has changed for him. As much as he’s been in the gym, always, he’s probably in the gym even more now. 

“He stayed ready for the opportunity, and tonight, Jimmy going out of the lineup right before the game, needed somebody else to step up and he did just that.”

The game gives back what you put into it. The work has never stopped for the Warriors’ favorite Buddy, and he earned the rewards.

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