Will Kent Bazemore continue to shine for the Lakers?
One of the Lakers’ bright spots from an 0-4 start to the preseason has been Kent Bazemore. Los Angeles signed the shooting guard/small forward to a one-year deal at the beginning of August. Along with the Big Three, Bazemore has proven that he should be one of the last two unknown starters for the Lakers.
Bazemore had a stint in Los Angeles during the 2013 season and spent last year with Golden State, where he averaged 7.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He’s played in all four of the Lakers’ preseason contests and has averaged 22 minutes per game. In Sunday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns, the veteran posted four steals amidst another overall lackluster performance for Los Angeles on defense.
Kent is entering his 10th season in the NBA and he’s provided a much-needed burst of intensity to the Lakers. He’s already shown that he’s an asset that Los Angeles was lucky to snag during the offseason. It’s suspected that he’ll take the court as part of the team’s starting five and if he continues to perform the way that he has been, he’ll get to make an immediate impact for the Lakers in games that count.
If Bazemore is on the court tonight with the Big Three, it’ll provide a clearer look into what Los Angeles can expect heading into the start of the regular season. Kent hasn’t been able to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a win during the preseason, but his efforts have already caught the attention of head coach Frank Vogel.