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Lakers Nation > Blog > Lakers News > Lakers News: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Describes His Lakers Debut
Lakers News

Lakers News: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Describes His Lakers Debut

Trevor Lane
Published: 10/24/2017
2 Min Read
Lakers Preseason Recap: Julius Randle, Kyle Kuzma Lead L.a. To First Preseason Win
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
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The Los Angeles Lakers had a busy offseason, but their biggest acquisition in free agency as unquestionably shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. After spending the first four years of his career with the Detroit Pistons, he was unable to come to an agreement on a new contract with them and made the leap to the Lakers on a one-year deal worth $18 million.

Caldwell-Pope has cultivated a reputation as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and his offensive game is perhaps a bit underrated. Unfortunately, he was suspended for the first two games of the 2017-2018 season, which forced him to watch from the sidelines.

After finally making his debut against the New Orleans Pelicans, Caldwell-Pope explained to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times how it felt to sit out and then finally take the floor with his new teammates:

“It was kind of hard for me,” Caldwell-Pope said. “I wanted to be out there helping my teammates just playing along with them. They pulled out one for me. It just felt good to just be out there.”

On paper, Caldwell-Pope is an excellent fit next to rookie point guard Lonzo Ball. He can defend the opposing team’s best guard on a nightly basis, which frees up Ball to take on a slightly easier challenge. Given Ball’s lack of experience in the NBA, this could prove to be a crucial benefit for the rookie.

Additionally, on the offensive end, Caldwell-Pope has flashed solid passing skills and court vision. His three-point shot is developing, and he’s good at attacking off the bounce, as evidenced by the 20 points that he put up against the Pelicans in his debut.

Once he gets in-sync with his Lakers teammates, he figures to be an excellent contributor on both ends of the floor, and can hopefully help the team pick up some wins.

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TAGGED:Kentavious Caldwell-PopeLos Angeles Lakers
ByTrevor Lane
Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com

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