Kent Bazemore
- Thread starter SCKingsfan
- Start date
the best part of this season is seeing some of these guys that have been bounced around the league excel on the Kings. Bazemore and Holmes have been outstanding... Len I hope gets good playing time, last night was impressive but been watching more Len clips since then and the guy moves surprisingly well and does not slack.
ockingsfan
Starter
I sure hope the FO doesn’t make the same mistake they did when they moved Iman Shumpert last year.
The Kings need to re-sign Bazemore to a solid vet contract this summer.
The Kings need to re-sign Bazemore to a solid vet contract this summer.
KingsFanSince85
All-Star
This is a point I made several weeks ago. That many KINGS fans only tend to notice when it happens the other direction. But the KINGS benefit from it too.
As stated before, much a players success is contingent on finding the right fit.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
I've said many times that the difference between winning and losing is between the ears. I agree with you 100%, you need people with that toughness, that not only play tough, but that frustrate the players on the other team they're guarding. Ron Artest was famous for that as was Dennis Rodman. People thought they were slightly crazy, and maybe so, but no one liked being guarded by them. They did more than guard you, they undressed you.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
In a recent article in the Athletic by Jason Jones about Bazemore, he said that the Kings and Bazemore's agent are already in discussion about an extension. That doesn't mean they'll come to an agreement, but I wouldn't bet against it.
Groovygreg
Starter
Bazemore has been the single biggest key to the Kings last season surge. Beyond just his statistical contributions (which have been solid), his veteran “leadership by example” has spurred this squad to play with more focus and effort, especially on the defensive side. Kent’s energy is contagious and he is a great facilitator on both ends of the floor.
HebrewHammer
G-League
Desperation, a good foundation for growth? I wonder what happens when that desperation and sense of urgency goes away.
Open your eyes. Kent Bazemore needed a change; we needed a change. That's what it's about. It wouldn't be even close to the first time a player has come to the Kings and proceeded to play the best ball of his career.
It just seems you're looking very hard to find the dark lining to the silver cloud.
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
It's debatable whether this is even the best ball of his career either. Baze was a really good role player on those Budenholzer Hawks teams for a couple of years and got vastly overpaid as a result.
HebrewHammer
G-League
My eyes are open, thank you. In the last decade plus, I have seen more players come to the Kings and play underwhelming, or get a nice contract and then play underwhelming, than that I have seen players blossom. Based on that track record, and the facts that Bazemore for the majority of his career has been no more than an okay player, and the still small sample size of his play here, and the fact that he might not even be here next year, excuse me for being cautious about him.
Also, one could argue that you are the one squinting to see the silver lining on a very dark cloud.
Despite the recent run, which is very nice, we still need a 8 game win-streak to reach .500. So the bar is set very low for a sliver cloud, if you ask me.
And let's say we can sustain this run and limp into the postseason this year, at the expense of some heavily injured teams, what does that say? It seems to me that many people are oh so willing to use the injury excuse when we lose, but when it works in our favor it isn't relevant. But setting that aside, I do not believe that this one play-off run by a sub .500 team is a good foundation to keep building on. Next season, NO and Memphis will have matured a bit, likely Portland will be healthy and improved, GS will have its two all stars back, and even sorry old Phoenix (for perspective, just two games behind us) may overtake us.
We have a good chance of losing Giles and losing (or overpaying for) Bazemore, Bogi and Len. And by next season, Holmes is just a one-year rental for whom we don't hold the Bird rights. As much as I like Fox, Hield and Barnes, and have not discounted the upside of Bagley, this is not a core I get very excited about.
And then we have a FO, which has had quite some horrible decisions, and some good ones and a whole bunch of meh ones. But if you look at the process of the decisionmaking, it is hard to shake the illusion that there is no tangible plan mid- to long term plan, actions have a reactionary vibe and it is hard to shake the impression that the good decisions have been largely stumbled into by luck.
I can to a certain extent understand getting excited about the current run, but I think it can just as validly be seen as fool's gold. I think this organization can only take serious steps towards relevance if sweeping changes are made at the top. I could be wrong, I hope I am wrong, but I am not holding my breath.
That right there is the conceptual difference between us.
You see Bazemore as, in your own words, a dark cloud. You proceed to bring in the old standard arguments about the front office, Giles, etc.
I see the Bazemore addition as a much-needed shot in the arm for the team in a lot of different ways. You have an Eeyore approach. I simply refuse to allow any opportunity to enjoy Kings basketball to go past. At the end of the season, I will have had a lot of fun during the good times and suffered through the bad times. You, on the other hand, will just have the satisfaction that you "were right" and should not have enjoyed anything at all.
If it's all the same to you, I'll keep with my POV.
I really hope Bazemore is not playing himself into getting a 10+ million dollar deal because if the Kings match it and sign him up for it they will essentially be making the same mistake as they did the past 3-4 off-seasons of overpaying for a player who they could get at a much cheaper price. He's been very solid since he has been hear but ideally 5-6mil per is max I would give him.
steelevt
All-Star
His current contract was 4 year at 15/16/18/19 mil. Hopefully he feels he made his money already and isn’t looking for a super big contract but you never know.
Yeah somewhere in that 6-8 mil range is reasonable. In a short market, unlikely he'd be able to secure more than that.
The Kings seem to have had a lot of players go through their organization only to succeed somewhere else.
I give Walton some credit for seeking out over looked players like Bazemore, Holmes and Len and (maybe Parker) and turning them into assets. The new guys have brought the new culture of toughness and playing hard. They made the other guys better. The Kings' second unit is more dependable than the first on a lot of nights. Bazemore leads the second unit.
I give Walton some credit for seeking out over looked players like Bazemore, Holmes and Len and (maybe Parker) and turning them into assets. The new guys have brought the new culture of toughness and playing hard. They made the other guys better. The Kings' second unit is more dependable than the first on a lot of nights. Bazemore leads the second unit.
Löwenherz
Starter
I admit to thinking Bazemore was merely an expiring contract brought on in the Ariza salary dump (and I'm not fully convinced that wasn't the original intention anyway). But I'm starting to be swayed by the general giddiness I'm reading surrounding him on this board. Verging on hoping he's re-signed.
... then I reflect on all the times we've been burned by contract-year superstars and it gives me pause.
... then I reflect on all the times we've been burned by contract-year superstars and it gives me pause.
KainLear
Starter
The real issue here imo is that the way Bazemore plays with us is the kind that'll always be adored by fans, the effort and dirty work, which also happens to be one of the things we desperately needed. Pin him next to our star players like Buddy Hield and suddenly he seems better. But the part that is easily to lose sight on is the fact that he's in the last year of his contract at 30 years old, which means this will realistically be his last chance to get another long contract payday. And it is not unheard of for athletes to play much better with a lot more effort for his contract year and then scaled back to his usual after that. (Not accusing Baze or anyone but it has happened before)
But all in all, it's lovely to watch him play with that kind of energy and level of competitiveness.
I just wanna put this out there for us to consider. If this is going to be what he brings on the table, at 30 he might still have at least 5 good years ahead of him. But the contract we might extend to him this off-season will be based on this year's performance, on if he can produce the same level of intensity for the duration of contract.
Does he have more mediocre years in his career than when he was actually earning that 15+ mil contract he currently has? Is this just like he said, a case of scenario change or just that he wants to bust his behind for a payday?
But all in all, it's lovely to watch him play with that kind of energy and level of competitiveness.
I just wanna put this out there for us to consider. If this is going to be what he brings on the table, at 30 he might still have at least 5 good years ahead of him. But the contract we might extend to him this off-season will be based on this year's performance, on if he can produce the same level of intensity for the duration of contract.
Does he have more mediocre years in his career than when he was actually earning that 15+ mil contract he currently has? Is this just like he said, a case of scenario change or just that he wants to bust his behind for a payday?
DesertFox
Starter
Like everything else, keep him if you can get a good price.
But you have to believe the real smart teams would find a way to replace him with a cheaper younger alternative. These marginal cost gains are what keep small market teams competitive. You hope Justin James has been taking notes and can provide something close for a fraction of the price.
But you have to believe the real smart teams would find a way to replace him with a cheaper younger alternative. These marginal cost gains are what keep small market teams competitive. You hope Justin James has been taking notes and can provide something close for a fraction of the price.
KainLear
Starter
If not yet, at least if we are to keep Baze for another year or two, he will.
chief bromden
Starter
Well that's a breath of fresh air
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
Bazemore is critical for this team moving forward. Can't let him slip away.
