Lake Show Life
Fansided

Los Angeles Lakers want Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to set the tone defensively

By Kenneth Teape

TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 12: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #5 of the Detroit Pistons defends during the second half of an NBA game at Air Canada Centre on February 12, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 12: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #5 of the Detroit Pistons defends during the second half of an NBA game at Air Canada Centre on February 12, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping new shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will help set the tone defensviely this season.

The Los Angeles Lakers will have some new faces this season. They revamped some areas of their roster, specifically in the backcourt.

The Lakers overhaul started before the 2017 NBA Draft. They traded D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez and the 27th pick in the draft. To replace Russell, the Lakers used the second overall pick on UCLA star point guard, Lonzo Ball.

Later on in the draft, the Lakers also selected Villanova shooting guard, Josh Hart. Hart is versatile enough that he could fill in at both guard spots. Hart could be a factor off the bench as the Lakers back court depth was hurt in free agency as well.

Shooting guard Nick Young decided not to pick up his player option and signed with the Golden State Warriors. With Russell and Young both moving on, the Lakers had a big hole at shooting guard. It took a little while in free agency, but the Lakers filled that hole with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

More from Lakers News

Caldwell-Pope signed a one-year, $18 million deal with the Lakers after the Detroit Pistons renounced his rights. With the Pistons renouncing his rights, he became an unrestricted free agent after starting the offseason as a restricted free agent.

It was an excellent deal for both sides. The Lakers filled a lot of needs with the signing. Los Angeles badly needed a starting caliber shooting guard, which Caldwell-Pope will be. Arguably the two biggest strengths that Caldwell-Pope brings with him is defense and three-point shooting; the two weakest parts of the Lakers.

Financially, it also made sense. The Lakers upgraded without cutting into their future cap space, which is a win. Caldwell-Pope will have an excellent chance to continue improving his stock with the fast-paced Lakers. Last season the Pistons ranked in the bottom-eight of pace in the NBA; the Lakers ranked in the top-six. That means he should have more opportunities, and if the Las Vegas Summer League showed us anything, Ball will provide them.

While Caldwell-Pope should help the offense with his floor spacing, what the Lakers are really excited to see is him playing defense. Caldwell-Pope is considered a very good defender, which the Lakers desperately needed.

While the Lakers have some solid building blocks, their defense was a major problem last season. Los Angeles allowed 111.5 points per game, which was 27th in the NBA. They couldn’t stop a cold, as they let teams shoot 48.3 percent from the field, which was last in the NBA.

It will take a team effort to turn those stats around, but the Lakers are hoping Caldwell-Pope will help. President of Basketball Operations, Magic Johnson, is hoping Caldwell-Pope will set the tone defensively during a periscope.

Having Caldwell-Pope in the fold will help greatly defensively. He will help Ball, who won’t have the pressure of defending the best perimeter player on the other team; Caldwell-Pope can handle that.

Next: 50 Greatest Players In Lakers Franchise History

The Lakers will be a lot of fun to watch this year. If they can improve defensively, they will see a lot more wins. The offense is there; can Caldwell-Pope help change the culture defensively?

Home/Lakers News