The Atlanta Hawks are coming off a 60 win season and are hoping to replicate that success this season. The Hawks had four All-Stars last season and they are all back but they lost their fifth starter, DeMarre Carroll, and he might have been just as important as the All-Stars to his team's success. Replacing Carroll will be a big key to how well this season goes for Atlanta and Kent Bazemore will have the first shot as the starting small forward but Thabo Sefolosha could earn that spot from him, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Bazemore played in five games this preseason and he started all of them so it is no surprise that he has been named the starter. Bazemore has started just 25 games in his three year career but he will have his chance to lock down the job in the beginning of the season. The 26 year old was not very good for Atlanta last year (9.7 PER) but he has shown flashes of being a solid role player. Bazemore's offensive game isn't great but it has been improving and the same could be said for his defense.
In his first season with the Hawks Bazemore shot a career high 36 percent from three and was also a plus defender for the first time in his career while playing 17.7 minutes per game. He will be trying to replace a guy who played tremendous defense and was versatile on offense in Carroll so he has his work cut out for him.
Sefolosha is working his way back from a broken leg which is likely the reason he isn't starting right away but he is expected to get big minutes off the bench. Sefolosha is a better defender than Bazemore and he also has more size and experience but the Hawks want to ease him back in despite the fact that has looked healthy in the preseason. The 6 foot-7 Swiss forward has had seasons where he has shot better than 40 percent from three so if he can bring that to the table along with his solid wing defense the spot may be his before too long.
Bazemore hasn't shown yet that he is worthy of being a full time starter but he also hasn't really had too much of an opportunity. Bazemore did have a very good 23 game stretch with the Lakers in 2014 but that is too small of a sample size to make a judgment on. The 6 foot-5 forward will have his chance at the start of the season to carve out his role and prove he belongs in the starting lineup and if he is unable to do so he won't be long for starting as Sefolosha is right on his heels.
