The Golden State Warriors were eliminated in five games in the 2025 postseason by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Semifinals, as the team stood virtually no chance without Steph Curry, as the star guard went down in Game 1. While the season ended on a sour note, there were still some positives to take away from it.

During the team's playoff run, they were only able to reach the semifinals because they held off a 3-1 comeback attempt from the Houston Rockets in the first round, defeating them 103-89 in Game 7. While Curry and Jimmy Butler had solid games then, it was Buddy Hield who was the hero with a 33-point performance to seal a victory.

Flash forward to this season, and it hasn't been the best of starts for Hield. After December, Hield was averaging less than eight points a game and not shooting the three-point shot well at all. However, he's starting to turn it around in January, averaging 10.7 points on 55.6% field goal and 51.5% three-points shooting.

On Tuesday night in the loss to the Toronto Raptors, Hield actually scored his highest total since that Game 7 victory over the Rockets, finishing the game 7-of-8 from the field for 25 points, going perfect on his six attempts from beyond the arc.

With Hield having this recent surge with three-straight games scoring 14 or more points, head coach Steve Kerr gave his sharpshooter some praise despite the loss.

"You know, Buddy, the last four games has just been lighting it up. Just one of the most professional players I've ever coached, just the energy, the spirit, whether he’s playing or not, what he brings to the gym every day is just amazing," Kerr said.

While the Warriors know they have strong shooting with Steph, their team really unlocks when Hield is hitting three-pointers consistently, similar to the dynamic Klay Thompson brought during his stretch with them.

"I think he’s being rewarded for that approach and that attitude, and the work that he keeps putting in. He’s the first guy here on game days, getting in his work in the training room, the weight room, kept himself in great shape. It’s really fun to see Buddy performing after being out of the loop for a while," he added.

Unfortunately, Hield has never been viewed as the most consistent player, as he started last season with Golden State on fire before fading out during the middle of the year, and returning to form during the postseason.

But when Hield is playing his best, he's worth far more than his $9.4 million salary. Golden State still has him under contract through at least the 2026-27 season, and he'll have a $10 million player option for the 2027-28 season. If Hield can step up with Jimmy Butler now out for the rest of the season, the Warriors have some life.