With ‘pride’ & ‘Inspector Gadget’ arms, Kent Bazemore is quickly becoming Blazers’ defensive ‘pest’

By Joe Freeman | The Oregonian/OregonLive

SACRAMENTO — Kent Bazemore was lounging in courtside seats at Golden 1 Center Friday morning, discussing the origins of his love of defense, when a beloved subject came up.

“The chase-down block,” he said, wide smile beaming across his face, at the Portland Trail Blazers’ morning shootaround. “My favorite play in basketball.”

Tayshaun Prince erasing Reggie Miller in the 2004 Eastern Conference finals. LeBron James destroying Andre Iguodala in the 2016 NBA Finals. Bazemore giddily detailed his favorites.

So it was only fitting that later in the evening, as the Blazers (1-1) were fighting off the pesky Sacramento Kings (0-2) for their first victory of the season, Bazemore would unleash his favorite play at a pivotal moment. With the Blazers holding a precarious 94-86 fourth-quarter edge, Bogdan Bogdanovic snatched a steal from Anfernee Simons and streaked the other way, bolting toward a sure-fire breakaway layup. But with Bazemore lurking on defense, nothing is sure, and as Bogdanovic approached the hoop, Bazemore was tracking the play from behind. He leaped at the last second and swatted the shot away.

Bazemore has only worn a Blazers uniform for two games, but he already has emerged as a defensive demon. With a long and athletic 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame and a hunger for harassing opponents, Bazemore offers a tantalizing blend of Nicolas Batum’s length, Wesley Matthews’ guts and Moe Harkless’ grace. Quite simply, he could be the most disruptive and dominant defensive force the Blazers have featured in years.

“I wake up to play great defense, fly around, and just make it tough on the other team,” Bazemore said. “That’s why I play the game.”

Bazemore likes to say his defensive prowess was born at the beginning of his basketball journey, when he was roaming the youth basketball courts in Kelford, NC, and his middle school games would feature final scores in the 20s. But the truth is, while Bazemore has always had a desire and passion to play defense, it became his identity out of necessity.

In a story that will sound eerily familiar to that of Matthews’, the one-time Rip City fan favorite, Bazemore went undrafted out of Old Dominion and had to fight for his NBA life at summer league and through the G-League. Along the way, he quickly realized he had to distinguish himself from his peers if he was going to stick in the league. He didn’t boast a beautiful jumper or highlight-reel ball-handling, so he leaned on the things he knew he could trust: his effort, his intelligence and his bulldog demeanor. He turned to his defense.

“It’s the role less traveled,” he said. “I found if I wanted to stick around in this league, I had to be different. And I don’t really have the offensive skill-set to be elite on the offensive side of the ball. But defensively, I can really help, and I knew if that became what I was known for, I could stay around for a long time. You need those stoppers. The Tony Allens. The PJ Tuckers. The Bruce Bowens. You need those guys on your team to help you win. And that’s the role I want to play in Portland.”

It helps that Bazemore has a build suited for defensive dominance. He’s agile and athletic and features the speed and strength to defend the whole court. And his wingspan stretches a ridiculous 7-feet, so he feels longer than 6-5 to opposing offensive players, which gives him the luxury of hounding guards and forwards with equal success. He’s tenacious in the open court, but also rugged enough to hold his own down low among the trees.

Bazemore said he only really grasped how to use his long reach to his advantage over the past two or three seasons, but his new teammates noticed his reach the moment he stepped on the practice court for summer workouts.

“His arms touch his calves without bending over,” Damian Lillard said, chuckling. “And then he wears a wristband sometimes in practice and it makes it looks worse, like his arms are just dangling like Inspector Gadget out there.”

But plenty of NBA afterthoughts have possessed the physical makeup to be elite defenders. The separator is heart and desire. And because Bazemore has had to fight and scrap for his NBA life his entire professional career, those traits are innately inside him.

When he was a rookie and ESPN released its annual rankings of NBA players — a one-through-500 list of every player in the league — Bazemore was shocked to see where he landed: No. 499. Second-to-last. Only Eddy Curry ranked worse.

He stuck with the Golden State Warriors as a rookie, played well during a brief stint with the Los Angeles Lakers his second season and eventually blossomed into a starter with the Atlanta Hawks. Along the way, his ESPN ranking inched up, ultimately crossing into the top 100. When he signed a $70 million contract in 2016, his NBA status was cemented.

But that ESPN slight has stayed with Bazemore since he was a rookie. The kid from Kelford just can’t let it go.

He had 499 etched into his game shoes a few years ago and still occasionally scribbles the number on shoes with marker, a not-so-subtle reminder to remember his roots and how far he has come.

“I was 499 — they had some dead guys in front of me,” Bazemore said, chuckling.

“It’s something I still hold on to. You’ve got to remind yourself. I was undrafted and then signed a very lucrative deal four years ago, but I’m still trying to remain true to who I am and not let the success get to me. I’m just trying to stay humble and hungry and approaching every day and trying to work.”

His Blazers tenure is only two games old, but this work is already paying dividends and it’s clear he the potential to be a defensive difference-maker on a team trying to incorporate that into its DNA.

In the season opener against the Denver Nuggets, Bazemore snatched five steals. Two nights later against the Kings, he blocked two shots. He’s revealed a knack for always being in the right place at the right time, which, he says, is a result of basketball instincts and scrupulous study. And he’s been eager to sacrifice his body, diving for loose balls and drawing charges, both of which he’s done during the first two games.

“I think he takes a lot of pride in his defense,” coach Terry Stotts said. “He’s long and athletic, he anticipates. He has evolved into a good shooter and good scorer, but he made his bones by being a good defender.”

Added Lillard: “He’s just a pest. He likes to get his hands dirty. He’s all over you. He’s always reaching and poking at the ball. And he’s always there, always ready for an opportunity to make a play.”

After Bazemore unleashed his favorite play in the fourth quarter against the Kings, CJ McCollum snared the long rebound, pushed the ball ahead and worked it to Mario Hezonja, who darted to the basket for a layup to give the Blazers a 10-point edge.

Before long, the lead swelled to 18 points. The block had shifted momentum and, as Stotts said, proved to be a “turning point,” killing any hope of a Sacramento rally.

Defense isn’t always sexy, but it’s essential. And, very quickly, the man the Blazers traded for this offseason to bring defense has become an essential piece of the Blazers.

“It’s been my calling card for as long as I’ve been around,” Bazemore said. “Obviously I work on other areas of my game, but I understand that if I want to stay around this league I have to lead with defense. And that’s OK with me. I don’t need all the stats. I don’t need the glamour. I’ll just go stop a guy and bang all night against guys bigger than me. It takes a toll on you, but it’s for the greater good. And being in Portland, where they got so close last year, losing two of their main defensive guys in Moe and (Al-Farouq Aminu), I know I have some big shoes to fill. And I’m all about it.”

https://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/...ng-portland-trail-blazers-defensive-pest.html

 

I'm really starting to like the new additions to this year's team.

 

The Oden era.