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Former Los Angeles Laker Kent Bazemore - who left the team after a half-season in 2013-14 after the Lakers failed to extend him a qualifying offer which led to an extended domino effect that wasn’t in the Lakers favor - is now a current Los Angeles Laker after returning during free agency this summer, reportedly taking less money than what was offered by his incumbent team, the Golden State Warriors.
Bazemore’s pursuit of a title and constant overtures from the Lakers front-office were key in his decision, with the player saying:
“I heard from Mr. Pelinka and coach Vogel a ton over the first couple hours of the evening once free agency started. They really brought an amazing energy to the table. It really felt like I had a place on that roster to really make a difference and, to me, that stuck out the most. It’s my 10th season and you’re all about trying to put yourself in the best position to succeed and I felt like that’s here.”
After studying the film and poring through the data, the GM Rob Pelinka and Coach Vogel’s persistence makes a lot of sense. Here’s how he fits on this Lakers team:
Bazemore’s fit may be strong enough to earn starter minutes or be an outright starter in the first place. If he can sustain his shooting on open looks while keeping his defensive form, his impact and value will be through the roof.
Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT has a doctorate in physical therapy from Northern Arizona University, and runs his own in-person and online sports medicine and performance business, 3CB Performance, in West LA and Valencia, CA in which he further combines his movement expertise and fitness training. He also works at a hospital — giving him experience with patients in the immediate healthcare setting and neurological patients (post stroke, post brain injury) — and has been practicing for 4 years. Brar is additionally training at UCLA’s mindful awareness research center (MARC), has a background in youth basketball coaching and analyzes the Lakers from a medical and skills perspective for Silver Screen and Roll and on his own YouTube Channel. You can follow him on Twitter at @3cbPerformance.