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Why did the Trail Blazers fail to make the most of Kent Bazemore?

By Austin Carroll

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 22: Kent Bazemore #26 of the Sacramento Kings reacts after making a three point basket during the second quarter in a game against the LA Clippers at Staples Center on February 22, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 22: Kent Bazemore #26 of the Sacramento Kings reacts after making a three point basket during the second quarter in a game against the LA Clippers at Staples Center on February 22, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) /
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Considering he struggled in multiple roles with the Portland Trail Blazers, how has Kent Bazemore found immense success so soon in Sacramento?

When news first broke five weeks ago today that the Portland Trail Blazers had dealt away Kent Bazemore and Anthony Tolliver for Trevor Ariza, Wenyen Gabriel, and Caleb Swanigan, many Rip City, and general NBA fans rejoiced in this on-paper improvement for Portland.

Just take a look at the consensus social media reaction when Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN first broke the news of the details on the trade.

Truth be told, the Trail Blazers have largely improved since making the deal. Ariza has proven to have the size and shooting ability to play the role of a competent 3-and-D wing next to the tandem of star guards.

But after seeing Kent Bazemore take over in Sacramento, it’s hard not to wonder just went wrong during his short tenure with Portland. In just 14 games, Bazemore has immediately made his presence felt off the bench while averaging 10.3 points per game and shooting a hyper-efficient 42.1 percent from beyond the arc.

Kent only seems to be heating up, scoring 15 points or more in four of his last six contests. This serves as a striking contrast to his time with the Trail Blazers, in which he averaged just 7.9 points (and shooting 32.7 percent from 3-point range) while starting in half his games played and receiving a significantly larger amount of minutes.

Just take a look at his recent 23-point outburst against one of the NBA’s best defensive teams — and how his activity and finishing ability makes him look like an entirely different player.

While on the Trail Blazers, he started 21 games and came off the bench in another 22 games. Terry Stotts attempted employing Bazemore’s abilities as a primarily a spot-up shooter, but when his shots weren’t falling he was also given permission to try creating his own looks. Neither experiment found success.

In theory, playing next to stars like Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum should have granted Bazemore the space necessary to thrive. But when put to the test, he crumbled and submitted the worst season of his career since coming to Atlanta in 2014.

Portland is home to the basketball’s least inclusive offensive scheme, with 20.1 assists per game — by far the fewest in the NBA. The gap between Portland the 29th ranked team (the Houston Rockets) is the same as the gap between Houston and the 23rd ranked team. Sacramento ranks 22 in assists per game, perhaps indicating even a sub-par passing offense could maximize the usage of role players and keep their hot streaks alive.

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Considering the Trail Blazers are also home to the NBA’s worst bench unit, perhaps these symptoms are signs of a larger disease inflicting damage on this franchise. We’ve seen McCollum shine as a playmaker without Lillard in action, and I strongly believe capturing this momentum and implementing it into Portland’s offensive scheme is essential towards building a genuine contender.