New Orleans Pelicans: Two Intriguing Free Agent Shooting Guards
26. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Shooting Guard. Sacramento Kings. Kent Bazemore. 84
Strengths: veteran leadership, defensive versatility, bench stability
Weaknesses: age, long distance shooting
Key Statistics: 35 percent career 3-point shooter
How he fits with the Pelicans:
With the possibility that veteran E’Twaun Moore has played his final game with the New Orleans Pelicans, the team will look to replace his leadership on the bench.
They won’t have much money to spend on this luxury, so they need a guy who can provide some toughness, defensive versatility and occasional shooting for a good price.
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Kent Bazemore might be a guy who fits this description.
Bazemore is not particularly great at any one thing, but he has a nice all-around game and his defensive versatility would bring stability to the New Orleans’ Pelicans second unit.
Bazemore has already had his big payday, as he made $19.2 million in this last year of his contract, so at age 30, he might look to go to a winner as opposed to whoever offers the most money.
With Bazemore unlikely to sniff those kind of numbers again, he just might be in the range of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Bazemore is not huge at 6-foot-4 but has shown an ability to play small forward as well as shooting guard, which would give the Pelicans some defensive versatility off their bench.
He is just a 35 percent career 3-point shooter for his career, but has raised his average to 38.6 percent in his short time with the Kings.
Bazemore is certainly not going to move the needle that much for the New Orleans Pelicans, but he is a solid bench player who always knows his role and fills it.