"Is there a cart I can use?" Kent Bazemore asked of one of the Hawks equipment managers.
For that April game, Bazemore had already gotten in his pregame shooting, but with an hour until tipoff and a week left in the regular season, it wasn't really a regular time for locker cleaning. In that moment, the motivation for his request became clear: Bazemore was about to give away his extra basketball shoes.
For the player who likely led the NBA in smiles, it wasn't a new thing. A year earlier, Bazemore rounded up a Sharpie and a pile of shoes, which he autographed one-by-one and handed out to his adoring young fans. But last season Bazemore worked by the armful until he exhausted his supply and ran back to the locker room for more. This year Bazemore, ever the fast study, wizened to the cart method.
In his first year as a full-time starter, Bazemore learned quickly on the court too. On the night he doted on those kids, Bazemore scored 17 points (on 7-for-13 shooting) while collecting 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals in a Hawks win.
Coming into the season, it was reasonable to expect that Bazemore's numbers would improve. In 2014-15, he played 17.7 minutes per game while mostly coming off the bench. This season, he stepped into a starting role and averaged 27.8 minutes per game. By virtue of those extra 10 minutes per game, his per-game statistics all jumped significantly and, as one might expect, in the right direction.
But here is the impressive thing: even if we parse up the numbers on a per-minute basis to make an apples-to-apples comparison, most of Bazemore's numbers still went up. Points, rebounds, assists, steals. On a per-minute basis, they all were better this season than last. His field goal percentage climbed to 44.1 percent. His free throw percentage made one of the biggest jumps: from 60.0 percent to 81.5 percent.
Plus, he did all of that while routinely guarding the opponent's best threat on the wing. Bazemore will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the defensive skill that makes him a two-way play also makes him a key asset on the perimeter. Head Coach Mike Budenholzer said at the end-of-season media availability that Bazemore is the type of player he hopes to build around.
Bazemore himself sees room for growth, especially as he heads into the offseason with full health for the first time in a while.
"Last year I was coming off an injury, and I had to shut it down a bit, but this year I'm healthy," Bazemore said. "Finishing the season healthy is one of the most important things. I had a few nicks and bumps throughout the season, but for the most part, I played."
With good health affording him the time to work on his strength and skill this summer, Bazemore thinks he can amp up the athletic side of his game.
"My body is used to the grind," the 26-year-old said, "and now I can add to it. I can get my explosiveness back. I couldn't really play above the rim like I wanted to this year, which I'm super capable of."
Whether or not Bazemore returns, he definitely has a fondness for the city that loves him back.
"I would love to return here. The past two years I've taken a tremendous leap, not only professionally but personally – just growing more and more into myself and just figuring out life – so this place will hold a special place in my heart."
Story by KL ChouinardTwitter: @KLChouinard