Simplest 3 gamers in NBA historical past had performed extra video games than Good friend Hield with out attaining the playoffs. Later 8 seasons, he’s in the end in.
Hield hadn’t reached the playoffs in his eight-year occupation sooner than his 76ers defeated the Miami Warmth to clutch the Disagree. 7 seed Wednesday. His seven level and 6 assists have been the most important, particularly offering taking pictures that helped fracture Miami’s zone protection.
Later stops in Unused Orleans, Sacramento and Indiana, a cut-off date business to Philadelphia in the end were given the sharpshooting 31-year-old to the primary spherical.
Tom Van Arsdale performed 929 video games over 12 seasons and not made the playoffs, probably the most in NBA historical past. He used to be a just right participant, too, making the All-Superstar group 3 years in a row from 1970-72 and scoring over 14,000 issues. What will have to have stung is that his an identical dual brother, Dick Van Arsdale, made the playoffs 4 instances, together with in his 2d season.
Now not simplest did Hield play games an surprisingly immense selection of video games in his occupation sooner than attaining the playoffs, he performed an unusually large number simply this season. Since the Pacers’ time table used to be a negligible extra front-loaded, Hield performed 84 regular-season video games, probably the most in twenty years.
Moment the video games don’t rely formally, Hield additionally performed within the in-season event identify recreation with Indiana, plus the play-in recreation with the Sixers. That’s 86 video games, which is the third-most in NBA historical past.
He’s simplest overlooked six video games in his complete occupation, so Hield must be the poster boy for the NBA’s unused emphasis on participant availability. Hield doesn’t load govern, however he in the end controlled to get himself to the playoffs.