Bazemore has been a bright spot for the Kings and they should look to bring him back
Kent Bazemore’s first 10 games with the Sacramento Kings don’t jump off the page. The raw numbers are modest; 19.4 minutes a game, 7.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.
But when you watch those games, Bazemore’s play jumps off the screen. Bazemore is quickly winning over Kings fans with his tenacious defense, endless enthusiasm and overall level of effort.
Bazemore arrived in Sacramento along with Anthony Tolliver in the trade that sent Trevor Ariza, Caleb Swanigan and Wenyen Gabriel to the Portland Trail Blazers. Bazemore and Tolliver joined the Kings just in time to experience one of the worst losses of the season, a 127-106 defeat at the hands of the lowly Detroit Pistons. It was the team’s sixth straight loss, and the outlook for the remainder of the season was grim.
Since then, the team has turned things around, winning five of the next nine games. There were other changes as well, such as coach Luke Walton moving Buddy Hield to the bench and starting Bogdan Bogdanovic instead, but Bazemore’s play has been a key factor.
Perhaps we should have seen it coming. After that demoralizing loss to Detroit, Bazemore was still optimistic. He told The Bee’s Jason Anderson after the game:
“There’s a lot of good stuff going on in this locker room,” Bazemore said. “The way the guys talk to each other is a really good thing. It’s all constructive. It’s all good stuff. There’s just some stuff defensively, a little bit or urgency, small stuff that’s very fixable. It’s a talented group. They have everything they need. You can tell it’s been tough and you can sense the frustration, but there’s just so much good stuff here and it’s a situation I’m glad to be in.”
Some stuff defensively? A little bit of urgency? That’s exactly where Bazemore excels. He’s a pesky defender who uses his length to disrupt opponents. NBA.com’s defensive tracking data for the 10 games Bazemore has been with the Kings shows a total of 44 field goals attempted by Bazemore’s man. Opponents have made just 14 of those, 31.8 percent. Those same opponents average field goal percentages for the season are 45.8 percent. Opponents are shooting 14 percent worse from the floor when Bazemore guards them. Ten games isn’t a huge sample size, but that kind of disparity is unheard of. It’s a testament to Bazemore’s defensive impact.
Hand in hand with the defense is the energy Bazemore brings. Whether it’s cheering teammates from the bench or making hustle plays in games, Bazemore exudes enthusiasm and energy. It’s reminiscent of the type of personality the Kings had with Iman Shumpert.
The Kings have been searching for a vocal veteran leader since trading Shumpert at the deadline last season. The trade brought the Kings Harrison Barnes, who is a leader in his own right but a different kind of leader. The Kings hoped Trevor Ariza could be that leader, but he wasn’t the right fit. With Bazemore, they may have found a bench player who can also be an energizing factor for the team.
Bazmore will enter free agency this summer, and is unlikely to command anything near the $19 million he’s earning now. He’ll turn 31 in July, but still has his athleticism and is proving to the Kings just how valuable his presence can be. Hopefully the team can reach a cap-friendly deal this summer to keep him around beyond this season.
This story was originally published February 13, 2020 at 4:00 AM.