Defense
Here is the real deal. Where he excels.
Every season we hear the same story. “The Lakers are in dire need of defenders. They are dead last in defensive rating. Every point guard sets a season-high against them”. And every year the coaches put a lot of emphasis on defense in training camp declaring renewed commitment by the players.
Yet, season after season we are forced to see the same results. Last season, hope sparked with the hiring of Luke Walton and the promise to bring to L.A. the Golden State Warriors’ successful system along with a piece of their defensive intensity. But nothing changed. New coach, same results.
The change of culture is not enough if it is not implemented by good and willing defenders.
This time the Lakers have definitely taken a step in the right direction, signing one of the best defensive stoppers of the league. Every night in Detroit, Caldwell-Pope was tasked to defend the best player on the opposing team and things are not going to change in Los Angeles.
He was one of the big snubs from the All-Defensive Team, along with the one who replaced him in Detroit, Avery Bradley. Anyway, his fame of being a lockdown defender is renowned around the league.
He will probably share the court most of the time with Lonzo Ball, who is not known for his defensive skills, and as a rookie, which always makes the job harder on that end of the floor. As they are set to face the elite point guards in the NBA (especially in the loaded Western Conference), KCP will be instrumental in taking the defensive assignment reliving Ball of the pressure.
The Pistons ended the season seventh in defensive rating and he was a big reason for it. Hopefully, his contribution will help to improve Lakers’ defensive rating as well.