The Renaissance of Kent Bazemore

When Kent Bazemore re-signed with the Atlanta Hawks in 2016, fans applauded his commitment and loyalty to the team. He turned down a chance to play alongside James Harden in Houston, who reportedly offered him the same contract.

However, after a rough 2016-17 season, the opinions of most Hawks fans changed. After losing Al Horford and Jeff Teague in the same offseason, and in a last-ditch effort to stay relevant going into the postseason, Atlanta teamed up Bazemore and Paul Millsap with future hall-of-famer Dwight Howard.

Bazemore was simply disappointing last season. His stats went down in almost every major category, and some felt like he didn’t deserve his last payday. He took more shot attempts per game than the previous season, while making them at a lower percentage as well. He eventually lost his starting role late in the regular season and in the playoffs to rookie Taurean Prince.

A usual fan favorite, Hawks fans soon turned soured on the guard/forward. That carried into the start of this season as well. One of the only familiar faces after an offseason full of change, Kent rejoined the starting lineup, quickly putting last season’s struggles behind him.