Sports Illustrated disagrees with a lot of you here

[Peoriabird]

Kent Bazemore featured on Sports Illustrated list of top 100 NBA players

Rob Mahoney and Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated broke down players 100 through 51 on their list and Kent Bazemore represented the Atlanta Hawks at No. 91 overall.

https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2018/9/10/17841080/kent-bazemore-atlanta-hawks-top-100-players-nba-sports-illustrated-list-2018-2019-season

I remember when all y'all use to think that I was sorry!  How do you like me now?

[JayBirdHawk]

Good for him - 1st time ever making the 100 list.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

1 minute ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Good for him - 1st time ever making the 100 list.

And I agree with their assessment..........

Quote

Thanks to the four-year, $70 million contract he inked during the 2016 cap spike, Bazemore has gone from toiling in the G-League to becoming the highest-paid player on one of the league’s worst rosters in less than five years. Although he’s clearly overpaid and unequipped to be a playoff team’s best, second-best or third-best player, Bazemore is a solid 3-and-D wing with good size and motor. In an ideal world, he would be cast as a fifth option in a contender’s starting lineup and asked to space the court, pick his spots to attack off the dribble, and bring energy on the defensive end. If Trae Young grows quickly into stardom, Bazemore will be a handy complementary piece. If not, he’ll continue to be grist for the trade rumor mill. — BG

 

[macdaddy]

It's hard to not like Baze.   If he can cut down on wild, ineffective offensive plays then he'd be great.   If some of the young uns step up this year I think Baze will fit in nicely with a high energy group.

[Peoriabird]

9 minutes ago, macdaddy said:

It's hard to not like Baze.   If he can cut down on wild, ineffective offensive plays then he'd be great.   If some of the young uns step up this year I think Baze will fit in nicely with a high energy group.

Last year there was a lot of hate going into the season. 

[AHF]

2 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

Last year there was a lot of hate going into the season. 

He was greatly improved last year.  There is a reason he wasn't on their list coming into last season.

I am with @JayBirdHawk.  The section she quoted is on point and why I am not pushing to trade him unless the right deal is there.  He might be someone we retain after his current deal on a smaller contract and is a super positive attitude and hard worker.

[Peoriabird]

2 minutes ago, AHF said:

He was greatly improved last year.  There is a reason he wasn't on their list coming into last season.

I am with @JayBirdHawk.  The section she quoted is on point and why I am not pushing to trade him unless the right deal is there.  He might be someone we retain after his current deal on a smaller contract and is a super positive attitude and hard worker.

I'm pretty sure I can find a trade Bazemore post or 2 from you last year especially when he hit that game winning shot!  LOL!

[AHF]

3 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

I'm pretty sure I can find a trade Bazemore post or 2 from you last year especially when he hit that game winning shot!  LOL!

I still don't mind trading him.  Just don't think we are trying to win in the short-term and he isn't good enough to really threaten that while simultaneously having improved enough to potentially be a role player on the team long-term.  The only long-term risk at this point is that the cap space he occupies next offseason prevents us from making a signing and I do think he becomes more movable for potential playoff teams the shorter his contract gets so no rush to move him at this stage.

Still think his upside is a lower tier starting wing / good reserve and he is pretty close to that ceiling.  That is a role with value even if the value doesn't justify his contract.  We are just in a position where eating some salary is pretty easy to do.

[Peoriabird]

1 minute ago, AHF said:

 The only long-term risk at this point is that the cap space he occupies next offseason prevents us from making a signing

G-league players getting a raise I don't know about?

[JayBirdHawk]

43 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

Last year there was a lot of hate going into the season. 

And it was well deserved to start the season. He struggled mightily the first year of his big contract.  The season started with any Baze trade required the Hawks to add a first to move his overpaid contract, by yhe trade deadline it was hoping for at least a 2nd, by the end of the season until now it's looking for a 1st. That's how much he improved from year 1 to year 2.

[AHF]

40 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

G-league players getting a raise I don't know about?

Not sure what this means.  At some point, we are going to want to flip our focus from acquiring draft assets to using our cap space on players who will be part of our core moving forward.  If we plan to do that next offseason, Baze's salary is a potential obstacle if we are looking to be very ambitious with FA or trade targets.

[Peoriabird]

Just now, AHF said:

Not sure what this means.  At some point, we are going to want to flip our focus from acquiring draft assets to using our cap space on players who will be part of our core moving forward.  If we plan to do that next offseason, Baze's salary is a potential obstacle.

We only have signed G-league players so far probably because ain't no high priced free agent will be signing here especially next summer after another lottery visit.  So we need not worry about Baze's salary

[benhillboy]

The list looks pretty damn sound to me so far.  Baze between Fournier and Vucevic is perfect.  Love Ingles in the 50’s, he’s like Larry Bird with special needs.  Now I’ll have some issues if Tatum and Butler aren’t controversially high or Steph isn’t # 1.  Davis and Embiid should be above Westbrook and Durant but I doubt it.

[Gray Mule]

4 hours ago, Peoriabird said:

We only have signed G-league players so far probably because ain't no high priced free agent will be signing here especially next summer after another lottery visit.  So we need not worry about Baze's salary

If this is true, we sure have signed some mighty fine G League players.  Vince Carter and Alex Len and Jeremy Lin were all free agent signings.

Dang good G Leaguers, if you ask me!

[HawkItus]

4 hours ago, AHF said:

I still don't mind trading him.  Just don't think we are trying to win in the short-term and he isn't good enough to really threaten that while simultaneously having improved enough to potentially be a role player on the team long-term.  The only long-term risk at this point is that the cap space he occupies next offseason prevents us from making a signing and I do think he becomes more movable for potential playoff teams the shorter his contract gets so no rush to move him at this stage.

Still think his upside is a lower tier starting wing / good reserve and he is pretty close to that ceiling.  That is a role with value even if the value doesn't justify his contract.  We are just in a position where eating some salary is pretty easy to do.

Oh you have definitely come around..

 

Quote

 

ON 10/6/2017 AT 11:10 AM, HAWKITUS SAID:

I don't understand the issue with Baze.  He is subpar, yes.  But, his contract is not prohibitive to anything we are trying to do.  On the contrary it may be beneficial should we come across an opportunity.

 

His contract is toxic.  If  he was producting at a $15M rate and getting paid $17M that would be fine.  Producing at a $7M rate and getting paid $17M means you have to pay someone else to take that contract.  As his contract starts to run down, he will become a more palatable piece of filler in a trade but he isn't an attractive trade candidate.  He is more like Plumlee - a guy the other team doesn't want at all but might have to take to make the numbers work if they are desperate.

He is not good enough to derail anything we are trying to do right now so it isn't nearly as big a deal as it would be if we were trying to sign a stud FA or two.  However, it runs for several more years and may end up being an obstacle to something we want to do down the line.  

ON 10/6/2017 AT 11:31 AM, AHF SAID:

His contract is toxic.  If  he was producting at a $15M rate and getting paid $17M that would be fine.  Producing at a $7M rate and getting paid $17M means you have to pay someone else to take that contract.  As his contract starts to run down, he will become a more palatable piece of filler in a trade but he isn't an attractive trade candidate.  He is more like Plumlee - a guy the other team doesn't want at all but might have to take to make the numbers work if they are desperate.

He is not good enough to derail anything we are trying to do right now so it isn't nearly as big a deal as it would be if we were trying to sign a stud FA or two.  However, it runs for several more years and may end up being an obstacle to something we want to do down the line.  

I don't see it.  What exactly are we trying to accomplish where his contract is toxic?   He is steady number on our books.  He isn't eligible for an extension, nor is he close to FA.  He doesn't disrupt our losing or negatively affect the young guys in the locker room.  His contract stinks, but time has proven that player can be retired due to injury with a big cap number and still be traded.   If we ever need to move him I am sure we can.   Even if it is for to smaller bad contracts like we did with Howard.  I just don't see the issue.  We are 3 years away from making any significant moves.   He is a none issue.

 

 

[Peoriabird]

1 hour ago, Gray Mule said:

If this is true, we sure have signed some mighty fine G League players.  Vince Carter and Alex Len and Jeremy Lin were all free agent signings.

Dang good G Leaguers, if you ask me!

Jeremy Lin was obtained via trade.  Vince Carter is on his way out of the league.  No one else wanted Alex Len.  None of the above classifies as high priced free agents

[AHF]

1 hour ago, HawkItus said:

Oh you have definitely come around..

 

 

???  

Not seeing that much has changed other than he improved his play making the gap between his play and his contract closer than it was this time last year.  Exact same notion of him being overpaid still applies and same dynamic of it not being a big deal while we aren't trying to acquire big $$ players.  Like I said, the closer his contract gets to its end the more palatable it is.  The only thing that changed there was his play improved last season and now the deal is shorter both of which work against (in a good way) the toxic state of his contract this time last year.

2 hours ago, benhillboy said:

The list looks pretty damn sound to me so far.  Baze between Fournier and Vucevic is perfect.  Love Ingles in the 50’s, he’s like Larry Bird with special needs.  Now I’ll have some issues if Tatum and Butler aren’t controversially high or Steph isn’t # 1.  Davis and Embiid should be above Westbrook and Durant but I doubt it.

Biggest problem with the list for me is John Collins not being on it.  He deserves a spot in there based on what he has shown, IMO, if they are projecting performance for this year and they clearly are based on a couple of rankings.  He didn't even make the snubs list which is ridiculous when guys like Gortat are on there.

[High5]

Top 100 is a bit generous IMO, but he's not far off. He catches heat because he's paid like a top 50 player and he wasn't even top 150 two seasons ago. 

[benhillboy]

26 minutes ago, AHF said:

???  

Not seeing that much has changed other than he improved his play making the gap between his play and his contract closer than it was this time last year.  Exact same notion of him being overpaid still applies and same dynamic of it not being a big deal while we aren't trying to acquire big $$ players.  Like I said, the closer his contract gets to its end the more palatable it is.  The only thing that changed there was his play improved last season and now the deal is shorter both of which work against (in a good way) the toxic state of his contract this time last year.

Biggest problem with the list for me is John Collins not being on it.  He deserves a spot in there based on what he has shown, IMO, if they are projecting performance for this year and they clearly are based on a couple of rankings.  He didn't even make the snubs list which is ridiculous when guys like Gortat are on there.

I wouldn’t expect them to have that much experience in watching him play.  If they had along with the projection from folks in the know about his future 3 point proficiency he couldn’t be any lower than 70-ish.  

I didn’t know the did the full 100, I only got to 51 (Favors over Porzingis?). Was Dennis honorable mention too?  Guys like Rubio and Reggie Jackson are always overrated on lists.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

When I see that Lonzo Ball is 100, but Baze is 91, I know the list is bogus right off the bat.