Atlanta Hawks: The Rise Of Kent Bazemore

Kent Bazemore embodies what it means to be an underdog. How did he go from bench celebration expert to starting small forward for the Atlanta Hawks?

America sure loves an underdog story. We love watching some scrappy upstart rise from nothing to make a name for themselves. To overcome the impossible and succeed against all odds. I suppose it makes us feel like we could do the same thing.

Like anything is possible (shout-out Kevin Garnett).

We relate to this person achieving at levels they weren’t supposed to reach. Even if the person we are relating to is an insane athlete that’s still one of the best basketball players in the world.

The Atlanta Hawks have on their roster one of the best underdog stories of the last few seasons in Kent Bazemore. Bazemore is Rudy making a tackle on the last play of the season. He’s David knocking off Goliath. He’s Rocky going toe to toe with Apollo Creed.

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He’s the NBA’s underdog that started from the bottom.

Now he’s here.

Here is Phillips Arena. This offseason all of Bazemore’s hard work was rewarded financially when he signed a four-year $70 million deal to remain with the Atlanta Hawks.

He might have gotten more had he signed elsewhere, but he wanted to stay in the place that helped him develop into the player he is today.

Before he was a well-paid Atlanta Hawk, Bazemore was a four-year standout at Old Dominion University. As a Monarch, he averaged 10.1 points and 4.6 assists per game on 44.7 percent shooting.

His senior year he led the team in scoring, putting up 15.4 points per game.

Despite being a star for his college squad he was not considered much of an NBA prospect, Bazemore went undrafted during the 2012 NBA Draft. That summer he played with the Golden State Warriors in the Las Vegas Summer League.

His performance that summer earned him a contract with the Warriors. His rookie season, 2012-13, saw him shuffle back and forth between Golden State and their D-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors.

During his time in Golden State, Bazemore was known more for his bench celebrations than for his play on the court. He averaged only 5.1 minutes per game in 105 games as a Warrior.

During the middle of the 2013-14 season Bazemore was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. There, he finally got the chance to show what he could do in a larger sample.

He played 28 minutes per game in 23 games with the Lakers, averaging 13.1 points per game on 45.1 percent shooting and 37.1 percent from three-point range.

The following summer he signed a contract with the Atlanta Hawks. In Atlanta, Bazemore has carved out a niche for himself as a high energy, “three and D” wing in a league where that is extremely valuable.

In 2014-15 he only played 17.7 minutes per game behind starting small forward DeMarre Carroll, but last season Carroll’s departure opened up the door for him to enter the starting lineup.

As a starter Bazemore flourished. In 75 games, 68 as a starter, Bazemore scored 11.6 points and grabbed 5.1 rebounds per game on 44.1 percent shooting and 35.7 percent from three-point range.

He seamlessly replaced Carroll on the wing, giving the Hawks another reliable three-point shooter and defender at the three.

Bazemore plays with an almost infectious energy, giving his all one hundred percent of the time. He unleashes his freak athleticism on both ends of the court. He can be reckless at times, but the chaotic nature to his game is what makes it work.

In a 2015 article by KL Chouinard, Hawks forward Mike Scott had this to say about Bazemore’s playing style.

"“Of course, he matured a whole bunch, but he’s still wild, crazy Kent — all over the floor, being active defensively, guarding the best player, slashing and dunking — kind of the same thing I see right now.”"

Bazemore relentlessly attacks any defensive challenge, he’s not scared of anyone (even LeBron James). He may lack the size to match-up with some of the better small forwards in the league, but his energy and effort almost compensate for his lack of size.

Earlier this summer Bazemore wrote an article at The Vertical crediting his rise to hard work and determination.

"What did I do? I came to the gym early and stayed late, and with the help of the video coordinators – they should be your best friends forever and always – I worked to improve. I would share the court with the cheerleaders pregame and work out hours before the game whether I was expecting to get minutes in a blowout or not. I never saved an ounce of energy. This is energy I was born with, and I dispersed positive vibes to everyone in my locker room. They called it “Bazemoring.” I called it doing whatever I had to do to stick."

The question remains; what’s next for Bazemore now that he’s got his long-term security? It seems unlikely that the hunger that got him where he is today will fade.

In 2015 he was still talking about his intense celebrations, even as he had moved from bench warmer to a regular in the rotation. The “Baze Gaze” photobomb he inflicts on teammates after games is his new specialty.

The Hawks are an organization undergoing a slight face-lift. Jeff Teague and Al Horford are gone with Dwight Howard and Dennis Schroder replacing them in the starting lineup. Bazemore is one of three returning starters with Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver.

If the Schroder/Howard pick and roll is going to be an effective offense there will have to be a healthy dose of Bazemore back-cuts and corner threes. He may see is scoring load increase and if his past trajectory is any indication he will definitely be able to handle it.

If he can continue to bring high energy defense every game, average double figures in scoring, and shoot above league average from three-point range there’s no doubt he will live up to his contract.

Bazemore has worked hard to reach this stable place. He’s an inspiration for every player that doesn’t get drafted and has to fight their way through the D-League. He’s the type of “glue guy” every organization wishes they had.

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He’s more than a cute story or a fan favorite, at this point. Kids in Atlanta aren’t singing “I wanna be like Baze” quite yet, but they should be.