The Atlanta Hawks have placed a large amount of trust into the hands and skills of small forward Kent Bazemore. By doing so they also paid him a large sum of money to stay in Atlanta as he was a free agent this offseason. This is a move they will not regret, as Kent Bazemore will be able to reach his full potential in the 2016-2017 season as a key member on the Atlanta Hawks.
Bazemore went undrafted after four solid years at Old Dominion University. He was an all around star as a Big Blue, averaging 15.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in his final year at Old Dominion. Even after his stellar senior season, it was not enough for him to hear his name called by David Stern, as Bazemore went undrafted in the 2012 NBA Draft. It did not take long for Bazemore to get signed by a NBA team, as he agreed to a multi-year deal with the Golden State Warriors before the beginning of the 2012-2013 season.
Bazemore spent a season and a half with the Golden State Warriors and their D-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. He appeared in 61 games in his rookie season for the major league Warriors, but only averaged only 4.4 minutes per game. He averaged two points per game in those contests. Bazemore was then shipped to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he enjoyed his best success yet in his young career.
In the 23 games he appeared in with Los Angeles, he blossomed as a two-way player. He averaged 13.1 points and 3.1 assists in 28 minutes per game. Bazemore shot a career high 37.1% from the three-point line with the Los Angeles Lakers. After spending the second half of the year with Los Angeles, Bazemore became a free agent, signing with the Atlanta Hawks. While he left Los Angeles, his time spent with the Lakers was imperative for his skill development. Los Angeles gave him the opportunity he needed to start making a name for himself in the NBA and developing his game.
In Bazemore’s first year with the Hawks, he was their sixth man. He backed up both Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll, the Hawks starting wings. He averaged only 17.7 minutes per game, scoring 5.2 points per contest.
Bazemore’s second season with Atlanta is when he finally started to show his true potential. He took over the starting small forward spot, starting 68 of the 75 games he appeared in last season. His points per game average jumped to 11.6 points. He also averaged 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He shot a below average 35.7% from behind the arc, but his shooting percentage from inside the line was an efficient 50.2%. A major area of improvement for Bazemore is when his free throw shooting jumped from 60% in the 2014-2015 season to 81.5% in his 2016-2017 campaign.
After a stellar 16-17 campaign, Bazemore is back with the Hawks, after re-signing on a four-year, $70M deal. Now, he will take the next step in his career, as he looks to reach his potential.
With Jeff Teague and Al Horford departing to different teams, the Hawks have replaced them with Dennis Schroder and Dwight Howard. Last season’s per 36 numbers for Bazemore are a good example of what his stat line could look like next year. He averaged 15.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and three assists per game. These numbers already look solid, and there is reason to believe his stat line could and probably should look even better. Bazemore will take on a larger role, meaning he will see in uptake in shot attempts per game. Mike Budenholzer will expect more from Bazemore, after signing him to the contract that the Hawks did. Atlanta gave him money that above average players get.
Bazemore has improved each season he has been in the NBA. Next season Bazemore can reach the upper echelon of small forwards in the Eastern Conference, and even compete for a spot on the East All-Star Team.
The Hawks have invested in Kent Bazemore, and they will now reap the benefits of having the underrated forward on their roster for the next four seasons.
