Kent Bazemore: Lakers veteran
Kent Bazemore is in his 10th year in the NBA, but his first back in Los Angeles since the 2013 season. He played in 23 games in the purple and gold eight years ago and is definitely going to take the court in far more games than that this year. In an offseason full of new faces, Bazemore has proven that he’s a valuable addition at the forward position.
Kent had an off-game on Tuesday night, but that’s quite okay. He’s been in the league for a decade and one poor preseason game isn’t going to hurt anything. Bazemore played in 20 minutes and scored six points, the lowest out of the five starters. He’s in the same lineup as LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, so that’s not groundbreaking news.
Bazemore is an asset to the Lakers on the defensive end. He swiped four steals in Sunday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles desperately needs those type of statistics. If Kent can end the preseason on a high note with another performance that proves why he’s a starter, the Lakers can breathe a small sigh of relief. I say small because Los Angeles will have a tough time getting by if there’s little action on the defensive end.
Kent spent part of the 2019 season with the Kings, so that could also play to his advantage on Thursday. He’s carrying a lot of weight for a team with an almost nonexistent defense. Don’t get me wrong, Bazemore is a key piece to the Lakers’ roster, but he can’t be one of the lone defensive sparks. Still, it’d be nice to see him wrap up the preseason with a strong finish.