The Los Angeles Lakers have played 12 games in the 2021-22 NBA season. While it’s still early to judge how players are performing, one Laker has started off cold: Kent Bazemore.
Los Angeles signed Bazemore to a one-year deal for the veteran minimum and hoped he would bring his 3-and-D presence to the roster. L.A. lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso and Kyle Kuzma, three critical defenders, over the summer, and Bazemore, theoretically, was a solid replacement.
But among the new signings, Bazemore has struggled on both ends. He’s averaging 5.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.1 assists while shooting 35.4% overall and 33.3% from deep.
After going 0-of-7 from deep combined in the last four games and not being a positive on defense, NBA Twitter wants Bazemore on the bench rather than being a starter:
