Atlanta Hawks: 2017-18 player grades for Kent Bazemore

Strengths

One of the most encouraging aspects of Bazemore’s season was his uptick in 3-point efficiency. Entering the year as a ho-hum 35 percent shooter from downtown, Bazemore improved to a healthy 39 percent this year on 4.2 attempts per game, placing him in the top 40 in the league.

He was effective all over the arc, shooting 44 percent on corner 3s and 38 percent above the break. In today’s game, competent 3-point shooting is a prerequisite for most players. Bazemore went above and beyond that standard this year.

Bazemore was most effective as a secondary option away from the ball. In particular, he excelled at hitting catch-and-shoot 3s, making 42 percent of them his year. That’s in the same ballpark as C.J. McCollum (43 percent), Dirk Nowitzki (42 percent), Devin Booker (41 percent), Kristaps Porzingis (41 percent) and Klay Thompson.

Of course, Bazemore didn’t take as many of those 3s as those players — he averaged 2.8 attempts per game — but he showed great potential as a player who can space the floor. Bazemore also shined coming off off-ball screens, averaging 1.01 points per possession during the regular season with a 56.1 effective field goal percentage (league average was 52.1).

His playmaking improved as well. With an uptick in usage, Bazemore’s assist rate skyrocketed from 14.2 to 20.1 percent this year. Bazemore also made some strides on defense too. He finished with two defensive win shares in 65 games, which was tied for the most on the team. Had he played the whole season, he would have surpassed his 2.8 total from 2016-17. All of this adds up to a dependable, versatile wing who provides quality minutes for the Hawks.