New Orleans Pelicans Wing and a Prayer: Kent Bazemore
The New Orleans Pelicans need help on the wing, and Kent Bazemore could take his talents from Atlanta to New Orleans to lend a hand.
With the 2015-2016 season nearing its end, it is common knowledge that the New Orleans Pelicans failed to live up to expectations this season. However, there are reasons for optimism, Pelicans fans.
Anthony Freaking Davis will be a Pelican for at least the next three seasons! Next, the Pelicans have the sixth pick in the draft, which should, at the very least, bring in some much needed youth. Third, and potentially the most important when it comes to keeping the star and the fans happy, is free agency.
With Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson likely moving on for greener pastures, the Pelicans will have something they have lacked for a couple of seasons, cap room. Now, in regards to using the cap room appropriately, lets take a look at the likely departures. Ryan Anderson attempted 358 three pointers last season and also played the second most minutes on the team. Meanwhile, Eric Gordon (who was sixth in total minutes) attempted the second most threes on the team, despite only playing in 44 games.
Their departure creates a dramatic hole in the rotation along with a dearth of shooting. So, with that being said, the ideal player for the Pelicans should be a knockdown shooter, right? Well, not exactly.
For all their shooting prowess, it is well documented that Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson are porous defenders. Pelicans fans have been itching for a “Three and D” guy for years now, and, finally, the Pelicans may have a realistic chance of landing their target. That man is none other than Kent Bazemore.
More from Pelican Debrief
- How will the Pelicans round out rotation without Trey Murphy III
- Why you can’t blame Brandon Ingram for all Team USA’s failures
- Ranking 10 worst starters of the Anthony Davis era
- New Orleans Pelicans avoid potential disaster with latest injury reports
- 4 Most underrated players on New Orleans Pelicans current roster
Bazemore’s fit with the Pelicans is a natural one. First and foremost, Bazemore is already familiar with an up-tempo offense that relies heavily on ball movement, and, while no transition is seamless, Bazemore would likely be asked to play the same role he played on the Hawks. Bazemore is an unrestricted free agent, giving him the freedom to choose any team he believes would suit him best. Now, Bazemore has expressed his desire to stay in Atlanta but, with it looking like the Hawks possibly entering a rebuild, they may be inclined to let Bazemore walk.
With the news that the New Orleans Pelicans have hired former Hawks GM Danny Ferry as an advisor, the idea of Bazemore joining the Pelicans has become a very real possibility. Ferry is of course the man who brought Bazemore to Atlanta, where he would flourish. The addition of Ferry may give the Pelicans an edge over rival suitors due to the player’s familiarity with Ferry.
Should the Pelicans pursue Bazemore he projects as a player who can check a number of boxes. Here is Bazemore’s raw offensive numbers: 11.6 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 44 percent from the field and 35 percent from three. Solid, yet unspectacular, but, when evaluating Bazemore, it is important to dive deeper into the numbers. His 3.8 defensive win shares to go along with a 1.6 defensive plus minus highlight his high defensive IQ.
In this Vine, you get a sense of the aforementioned IQ. As he recognizes where Jrue Holiday is looking to pass, Bazemore immediately recognizes where Eric Gordon is after coming off the pick. Bazemore knew where Eric Gordon was the entire time, yet he was able to give him enough space for Jrue Holiday to think he had room to make the pass which results in a steal.
One noticeable trait of Bazemore is his ability to quickly break on the ball. This ability allows him to recover quickly when he gets beat or provide excellent help defense.
However, Bazemore also displays good on-ball defense with his quick footwork and sneaky athletisim, as shown in this clip against sixth man of the year Jamal Crawford.
If Bazemore were to somehow end up in New Orleans, he would bring something that this team has been desperately searching for, and that’s a good team defender. Bazemore could bring a defensive prowess that has been missing for some time.
Now, with all the talk on defense it should not be forgotten that Bazemore is no slouch on the offensive end either. Aside from the fact that Bazemore comes from a Hawks team that nearly mirrors the Pelicans philosophy of ball movement and pace, it is important to note that Bazemore has a very high basketball IQ.
More from Pelicans News
- How will the Pelicans round out rotation without Trey Murphy III
- Why you can’t blame Brandon Ingram for all Team USA’s failures
- New Orleans Pelicans avoid potential disaster with latest injury reports
- 3 New Orleans Pelicans whose role will increase next season
- Pelicans getting the fans involved with their upcoming festival
Bazemore takes very few midrange jump shots, doing nearly all of his damage from either behind the arc or inside the painted area. Bazemore attempted 358 of his attempts inside the restricted area, scoring at a slightly below league average rate of 54.9 percent. Compare that 358 attempts to the measly 59 attempts from mid range, and it is evident that Bazemore’s shots are either coming from inside or from downtown.
What stands out about Bazemore’s shooting is his excellent corner three percentage. The corner three is a shot that Alvin Gentry has raved about since joining the Pelicans, and, while Bazemore is not the shooter that Gordon or Anderson are, he is still a very capable option. Bazemore shot 41 percent from both corners, which is well above the league average rate of 38 percent. Here is a vine of how Bazemore could potentially thrive with the Pelicans as an option out of the pick and roll.
Notice how Dennis Schröder and Paul Milsap work the pick and roll, and once the defender comes over to help Bazemore is spotted up in the corner for an open shot. It is something that the Pelicans could implement with Davis and Holiday handling pick and roll duties while Bazemore spots up in the corner. Many times this year the Pelicans would find open shots in the corner but players like Alonzo Gee or Dante Cunningham would be taking them. Bazemore would be an effective role player who will take smart shots and not try to do too much offensively.
Another thing that Bazemore does tremendously is run to the corners in transition. This vine is just one example of Bazemore darting to the corner on a fast break.
Kent Bazemore knows where his spots are on the court and he gets to them. This is a valuable trait as it can give the Pelicans a reliable safety valve on offense whenever the defense collapses or a scramble play ensues. Bazemore is either spotting up in the corners or making a cut to the basket from the wing position, and with an offensive attack spearheaded by Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis, that formula should lead to a number of open shots for him.
Another encouraging thing about Bazemore is that his efficiency cannot simply be attributed to small sample size, as Bazemore made 49 corner threes on 119 attempts. Imagine Kent Bazemore catching those corner threes rather than Dante Cunningham next year. Now, Bazemore is not by any means the greatest offensive threat; he has higher turnover percentage than assist percentage, and his usage has been fairly low. It is unknown how well he will produce with a potentially larger role. He also is not really much of creator for others and is fairly limited offensively besides his elite corner three shooting.
Next: Wing and a Prayer: Evan Fournier
However, with that being said, if the Pelicans are looking for a “Three and D,” there may not be a better fit than Kent Bazemore. It will likely take a large amount of cash to ensure that Atlanta does not match an offer sheet, but, with the payroll continually going up, the contract could turn into a bargain as Bazemore is still only 26 . Entering the prime years of his career it is not crazy to assume that he will keep improving and out perform his contract. The money should not scare the Pelicans away from pursuing Kent Bazemore, and he could be the wing fans have been salivating for.