New York Knicks: Three options to improve the bench next season
By Adam Kester
Kent Bazemore
Kent Bazemore seems like he’s gotten an unfair reputation during his career because of the 4-year, $70 million dollar contract he signed with the Atlanta Hawks in 2016. Bazemore never took the leap that Atlanta had hoped he would when he signed the contract, but he has turned into a solid 2-way NBA player.
Now 30-years-old and playing in the final year of his contract, Bazemore has turned himself into one of the better defensive shooting guards in the game. This season, Bazemore is currently 4th among all shooting guards in the NBA in DRPM (Defensive Real Plus-Minus).
In an article from just over a month ago by Sacramento Kings’ blog Sactown Royalty, writer Sabreena Merchant raved about Bazemore’s defense. She wrote:
"“On the surface, Bazemore brings a ton of energy on the defense. You can see him directing his younger teammates to their spots, being vocal on that end, and absolutely flying around at all times…Bazemore alone makes the Kings defense better, and he has his strongest impact on the glass and with takeaways.”"
Coaches always love having a veteran who is vocal on the court. Sacramento is in a similar situation as the Knicks: trying to build a young core, without much recent success. Bazemore is familiar with this type of situation.
Bazemore also brings good rebounding ability at his position, and his currently averaging over five boards per game for the second time in his career.
Kent Bazemore’s game is still flawed, and his reckless play is both a strength and a weakness. Bazemore hasn’t been an efficient scorer in his career largely due to poor shot selection and struggles to finish at the rim. This past season, however, Bazemore’s shooting percentages have been more than solid at just under 43 precent from the field and 39 percent from three.
I can’t imagine the 30-year-old Bazemore demanding a long term contract. Bazemore’s defense and shooting from beyond the arc at the shooting guard position could be a tremendous asset to the Knicks next season.