National Basketball Association

Are Kent Bazemore's Struggles Cause for Concern?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Kent Bazemore has started off slowly this season, but it’s only three games into the season. Should this be a concern or is it being overblown?

When does a slump or a drought become more than just a funk and start to define what a player is? What is the best way for a player to battle through their struggles and get back on track?

The Hawks as a collective unit are not too interested in who scores the most points or about individual accolades. As long as they end up on the right side of the win column than it’s a job well done. They currently are ranked third in the NBA in assists per game with 27.7. Among them not very many of those were from a Kent Bazemore made field goal.

The energy that Bazemore supplies Atlanta when he is on the court is palpable. His defense is also what makes his time on the court beneficial for the club. He does well making crisp passes around the wings that keep the offense flowing in the half court. As an athlete he is a tough matchup out on the floor. He is a magician on fast breaks and in the open court with or without the ball. Then why is he off to such a sluggish start?

May 22, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kent Bazemore (24) drives to the basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

He may need more time to mesh and gel with the new look starting lineup. Whatever the reason, he has not been at all efficient and has not had a great impact in the first 3 games. He is only averaging 8.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in 26.0 minutes of play. That is a long time and a lot of possesion’s that he has logged each game. In contrast, Dwight Howard is averaging around 30 minutes per game and he is doing well.

Kent Bazemore currently has a porous field goal percentage of 29.2. To look at that a little closer, he is taking nearly 10 shots per game, and has made less than three of them on average. His three-point shooting has really taken a hit, he is making just 18 percent of his tries from deep. Statistically, the only area that Bazemore has been a success so far is getting steals. He does average 1.7 of those which is good.

For Kent to power through the rut that he is currently in, it may help him to get to the free throw line more often. He is a perfect 8 -of-8 on his free throw attempts going into tomorrows showdown with the Lakers. He hasn’t gotten there much consistently this season.

When what he is doing is not working, then it makes sense to take a different approach to the game. He should attack the rim and put all the pressure on the officials to call some fouls. After he makes a few of them, he will have a better rythym offensively.

With Bazemore starting, and having the type of usage rate that he does, it would be great to see him have the type of production that he did last year. His scoring average was 11.6 per game, he shot .44.0 and .356 from the outside. He is too good of a player for this to go on much longer. His services are also way to expensive for this to continue as well.

Nov 1, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer talks with guard Kent Bazemore (24) during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

At some point head coach Mike Budenholzer has to be responsible for the trouble that Kent as well as his other players may be going through. Despite the team’s success, they will need Bazemore to be at his best to reach their long term goals.

I would like to see coach take a step back from the furious ball movement and motion on offense just for a second, and focus on getting Bazemore a few easier shots and more involved. If he is going to keep getting such a hefty amount of playing time, then he needs to perform significantly better than he has.