Oscar Robertson Compares Buddy Hield to Stephen Curry
April 1, 2016
NBA legend and Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson already made headlines earlier this year when he told ESPN's Mike and Mike (via CBS Sports' Matt Moore) that teams' inability to play defense made Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry successful.
On Friday, Robertson brought up the Warriors superstar once again. This time, as he presented Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield with the Oscar Robertson Trophy in Houston, he implied the college star is a better all-around player than Curry, per SNY.tv's Adam Zagoria.
"He has confidence in getting his shot away," he said. "I don't think any of these players can guard him. Just like Steph Curry, they can't guard him. They can't guard Buddy, either. Plus he can go inside and he can rebound. It means a lot also other than being a shot, he's a great basketball player."
There's no question that Hield has electrified the college game this season. He's averaged 25.4 points per game this year and, like Curry, can score from anywhere on the floor, especially from distance.
Hield has been saving some of his best performances for last, too, as he scored 37 points in the Elite Eight against Oregon:
However, implying that Hield is a better all-around player than the NBA's reigning MVP is a lofty comparison.
Curry's three-point exploits have been well-documented this season. For the second straight year, he has set a new league record with 361 made threes, but he's also an above-average facilitator, brilliant ball-handler and capable scorer inside.
For argument's sake, let's take a look at how Hield and Curry match up this season on some of the aspects Robertson referred to and more:
| Stephen Curry vs. Buddy Hield 2015-16 | ||
| Curry | Stat | Hield |
| 72 | Games | 36 |
| 30.0 | Points Per Game | 25.4 |
| 361 | Three-Pointers Made | 146 |
| 5.0 | Three-Pointers Per Game | 4.1 |
| 45.4 | Three-Point Percentage | 46.5 |
| 50.5 | Field Goal Percentage | 50.4 |
| 5.4 | Rebounds Per Game | 5.7 |
| 6.5 | Assists Per Game | 2.0 |
This isn't taking anything away from Hield, but if he gets into the NBA and puts up those numbers, it might give Robertson a better opportunity to make such a bold claim. For now, it's difficult to try to find someone who can beat Curry in anything when it comes to basketball.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com.