After a suspension to start the season, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been a welcome return to the Los Angeles Lakers starting lineup.
The Los Angeles Lakers got back a good guard who can make plays this week and it allows them to make several different moves on both sides of the ball.
Of all the moves the Lakers made this offseason, the latest one, the addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, was probably the best one for an instant impact. Once Detroit added Avery Bradley in a trade, the Lakers swooped in on Caldwell-Pope’s new unrestricted status. For one year, the Lakers got a starting shooting guard with upside.
Overall, the move to bring in KCP that gave the Lakers another young, talented player who can play on the perimeter and help cover for some of their weaker defensive guards. Unlike their other perimeter players, Caldwell-Pope was a better defender than most. That allows him to truly be a pivot point for head coach Luke Walton’s rotations.
Between Jordan Clarkson and Lonzo Ball, Caldwell-Pope gives them a solid defender in the backcourt. With Clarkson, Caldwell-Pope can serve as an additional ball-handler in the backcourt. With Ball, where he’ll see the majority of his playing time, Caldwell-Pope moves into more of an off-ball role, allowing him to work more in transition and as a catch-and-shoot player.
So far this season, Caldwell-Pope has been welcome addition for a team that could use production from the shooting guard position.
In three games played, Caldwell-Pope is averaging 12.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game on 38 percent shooting from 3. Outside of his recent two-point performance against the Toronto Raptors, Caldwell-Pope has had two games with double-digit scoring and at least two 3s and two steals.
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His biggest value is as a shooter. While Caldwell-Pope isn’t a great shooter, he has thrived as a solid catch-and-shoot option. This season, Caldwell-Pope is shooting 50 percent on 2-pointers and 3-pointers. It’s valuable because it opens up the Lonzo Ball pick-and-roll with three shooters (Caldwell-Pope, Brandon Ingram, and Brook Lopez) around him.
The Lakers are currently better with Caldwell-Pope off the floor on offense, but the combination of shooting and defense is there to thrive as the season continues.
Early in the season, it’s Caldwell-Pope’s defensive value that has helped Los Angeles. Not only are the Lakers two points better defensively with Caldwell-Pope on the floor, but he’s also leading the Lakers in deflections with 3.3 per game. While KCP isn’t an elite level defender, he’s a fine defender who can help as Lonzo Ball works out the kinks defensively.
The Lakers have several solid players in the rotation and the addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gives them a valuable two-way piece. On offense, he can thrive as a catch-and-shoot option alongside their star rookie, Lonzo Ball. On the defensive end, he’s a valuable energy defender who can defend both guard spots and allow both Clarkson and Ball to defend the weaker guard spots.
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In the long-run, perhaps the Lakers and Caldwell-Pope can extend their relationship past this year with a solid season.