Kings coach Dave Joerger regrets publicly scolding Buddy Hield: ‘I love him to death’
Kings coach Dave Joerger admitted Saturday that he shouldn’t have scolded guard Buddy Hield so publicly but said they have resolved their differences after the two of them got into a verbal altercation late in Thursday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.
Joerger and Hield argued after Hield pulled up for a long 3-pointer instead of running the play Joerger called from the sideline. Joerger addressed the situation for the first time during his pregame news conference before the Kings played the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
“I was a little animated at a time when the cameras are really on you and you’re kind of out there,” Joerger said. “That stuff shouldn’t happen out in front of people.”
Hield declined interview requests prior to Saturday’s game, saying he would be available after the game.
Joerger, a leading Coach of the Year candidate who has led the young team into playoff contention, said his quarrel with Hield would not be a detriment as the Kings try to reach the postseason for the first time since 2006.
“Those kinds of things do happen and they’re resolved when it’s over,” Joerger said. “What happens on the court happens on the court. Things are said, and I love him to death, and we’ve got a great group of guys with good chemistry. We get along really well.”
Joerger got upset with Hield on Thursday after he made a 32-foot 3-pointer to cut Golden State’s lead to three with 19 seconds to play. A league source, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the situation, told The Sacramento Bee that Joerger was upset because Hield took the shot instead of running the play he called from the sideline.
“Why don’t you just coach the f---ing team?” Joerger asked Hield, according to the source.
Warriors star Kevin Durant then joined in the discussion, asking Hield: “What’s wrong with your coach? You made a great shot.”
Some wondered if the altercation might have affected Hield’s decision to pass up a similar shot when he had a chance to win the game in the waning seconds. The Kings were trailing by two with 6 seconds remaining. Instead of taking the open shot, Hield pump faked, drove into the lane and missed a turn-around jumper as time expired.
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard promptly weighed in on Twitter, saying Hield might have taken the shot “if his coach didn’t yell at him for MAKING the same shot.”
Joerger said that wasn’t the reason Hield hesitated to shoot the potential game-winning 3-pointer, explaining that the last play was designed for him to get a 3-point shot with an option to drive if he wasn’t open.
“Every player loves having plays run for them,” Joerger said. “... If your coach draws up a play for you to win the game, that’s the ultimate show of confidence in you, so one didn’t have anything to do with the other.”
This story was originally published February 23, 2019 at 6:45 PM.
