Darius Bazley showcased his athleticism and length in the first two summer league games, providing an example of what the Lakers should be looking for.
Summer League is a place for quick reactions. The free-flowing, pick-up game environment can lead to short clips of impressive plays.
In this style, players with NBA experience tend to stand out. For the Lakers, that player hasn’t been last year’s first-round pick Dalton Knecht or Bronny James, who has only played one half, but five-year pro Darius Bazley.
A 6’9”, rangey forward with a seven-foot wingspan and two-way ability fits the archetype that LA and many teams are looking to find as a possible hidden gem.
Bazley was drafted by Oklahoma City in 2019 just a year out of high school as he chose to skip college for a New Balance internship. In his second season, he had his best year so far, averaging 13.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
He played three full seasons with the Thunder before moving around the NBA. Last year, he played overseas in the Chinese Basketball League for the Guangdong Southern Tigers.
LA is undoubtedly seeking defensive-minded players and athletes this offseason to strengthen their roster. Bazley has demonstrated his length and instincts in the first two summer league games at the California Classic.
His long frame lets him close gaps fast and block shots all over the court, even from beyond the 3-point line. In the play below, watch as Bazley has a foot in the paint when his defender catches the ball in the corner and still manages to block it out of bounds.
Bazley is ambidextrous around the rim on defense, sending away shots with either hand. He has a good feel as a rim protector, leveraging both his length, size and quick twitch jumping ability.
In the two summer league games, Bazley has totaled six blocks in just over 21 minutes a night, which leads the team.
In addition, he leads the team in rebounding with 6.5 per game, grabbing contested rebounds through traffic.
He fits the mold of the quintessential modern defensive forward, capable of switching on the perimeter. His wingspan and quick feet turn him into an oppressive defender against smaller opponents.
Watch below as he shuts off two different guards on switches, ending in a tough fading prayer.
At 216 pounds, the most significant defensive weakness is his weight as bigger players such as Isaiah Mobley, shown below, can overpower him and put him in the basket.
On offense, it’s a heavily mixed bag, which is why he’s bounced around the league. Even so, the context surrounding a team led by superstar playmakers like Luka Dončić and LeBron James opens the door to bringing in players with a more complementary skill set.
Bazley has an impressive handle at his size and uses it to push the basketball in transition with impressive strides.
His patented attack is a spin move, using his handle and long arms to finish around different defenders.
Any player on the Lakers going forward will need to know how to play and set on-ball screens and Bazley has demonstrated good timing on pick-and-rolls or pops. He’s shown the ability to be a scorer or even a playmaker, finding shooters in corners or the wing.
The biggest question mark is his outside shooting, which will determine if he’s in the league next season. Bazley is a career 31% shooter and still shows many signs of hesitation when catching the ball open on the perimeter, leading to over-penetration and out-of-control forays to the rim.
Defensively, it should be noted that a 25-year-old should have some level of athletic dominance over the mostly younger competition. More than that, he’s spent at least parts of five season in the NBA. He has 237 NBA games under his belt and played 33 more professional games in China last season.
In an environment full of first-, second- or third-year players in most cases, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Bazley stands out above the rest. He’s much further ahead in this process than just about anyone else in Summer League across the NBA this year.
With that being said, he’s still only a year older than Knecht and has athletic tools that potentially could be molded into a player who can return to the league.
Due to his NBA experience, Bazley can no longer be on a two-way contract. He must be signed to the roster or solely be on LA’s G League team. As things stand, the Lakers have 15 players on their roster and are barely $900,000 below a hard cap at the first apron. There is likely maneuvering to be done to better balance their roster.
Because of all that, it’s unlikely Bazley will be on the Lakers next season. But with the pursuit of players like Andrew Wiggins this summer, LA has shown a desire for defensive-minded players, and Bazley offers a good example of how helpful that type of player could be.
You can follow Raj on Twitter at @RajChipalu.