Defense
Defense is unquestionably a mixed bag when it comes to Hield. Obviously his lack of size comes into play when he’s on that end of the floor. Bigger, taller two-guards have the ability to rise over him both to get off jumpers and in the lane getting off shots nearer to the rim.
However, Hield’s quickness and length do allow him to make some plays on the defensive end that are quite impressive. His speed allows him to ably recover off of hedges and his quickness in terms of his hands also allows him to disrupt the dribble of opponents and create turnovers:
Despite the positive things that his quickness allows him to do and the mistakes it sometimes allows him to recover from, Hield needs work in terms of his awareness and his technique. In both halfcourt and in transition, the senior guard has a tendency to have lapses that allow his man to get in position to score:
The potential for Hield to at least be a plus defender at the NBA level is there, even with his lack of size. However, the senior guard still needs to work on his overall form and technique on that end of the floor before that can become a reality.
Next: Mentality