The Renaissance of Kent Bazemore

His scoring didn’t just rebound from last season, it improved from seasons past. Before his season-ending injury in early March, he was averaging career highs in three-point percentage (39%), effective field goal percentage (.500) and is averaging more points per game (12.1, second on Hawks) since his ‘13-14 season with the Lakers.

While he did help pick up the scoring opportunities left by Tim Hardaway Jr., Paul Millsap, Dwight Howard and Kyle Korver, his defense is what makes him extremely valuable. In 65 games this season, Bazemore averaged 1.5 steals and .7 blocks a game. He still currently ranks fourth among all two-guards with 100 total steals.

His stats tell a good portion of the story, but watching him play D is even more impressive. His ability to close a passing lane is his greatest skill on the court. Watching him anticipate the pass then soar in, like a ball-hawking safety in the NFL, for an interception is always a joy. Here’s an example from opening day this season:

He also has incredibly active hands, something that teammate Taurean Prince also excels at. This can lead to more pickpockets as well as the aforementioned blocks. Bazemore trails only Danny Green and all-star Victor Oladipo for most blocks per game by shooting guards.

All this makes Baze a fantastic three-and-D player but $70 million is a steep price to pay for just that, which is probably why most were calling his contract an overpay last season.

Bazemore needed to add a new aspect to his game, and that’s exactly what he did. With point guard Dennis Schröder having to shoulder more of the Hawks’ scoring burden, he’s needed some help running the offense. Bazemore finished this season averaging 3.5 assists per game. That’s good for twelfth among qualified shooting guards and second on the Hawks. It’s also a career high for Baze, improving on his previous seasons APG (1.0, 2.3, 2.4) by a significant margin.

The Old Dominion alum has also taken on a huge leadership role, and he’s always been a good teammate. Since his injury he’s been on the bench in a suit acting as an assistant coach. He’s constantly on his feet, exhorting his teammates to stay engaged and give consistent effort on both ends of the floor — much like he does himself.

All of these attributes combined made Bazemore’s name one of the hottest at last month’s trade deadline. Despite the fact that most contenders could use a veteran with a nice three-point stoke, his contract probably scared most teams off. Regardless, the Hawks kept Baze, and shortly after he was shut down for the rest of the season with a bone bruise.

 After an unconvincing campaign last season, the undrafted guard has bounced back this season in a big way. He’s easily a top-5 defensive shooting guard while improving three point shot and still being able to throw down a solid transition dunk every once in a while.

Bazemore was easily in the running for the Hawks’ best player this year, and was one of the most — if not the most — crucial leaders on the team.

Next: Is Taurean Prince the Best Player on the Hawks?

Despite this season being cut sort, there are two years left on his deal (the latter being a player option he’d be crazy not to accept) and while this season might end up being his best, the scoring, perimeter defense and veteran leadership he Baze has shown this season will be integral to the future of the Atlanta Hawks franchise.