Los Angeles Lakers: Player Rankings through the first half of the season (41 Games)
11. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
2018-19 per game stats: 9.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1 APG, 0.80 SPG, .422 FG%, .368 3P%
VORP: 04, 6th on the Lakers
WS: 2.2, 4th on the Lakers
DEFRTG (last 10 games, minimum 15 minutes per game): 107.9, last on the list
OFFRTG (last 10 games, minimum 15 minutes per game): 104.2, 5th on the Lakers
MOET: 2
It feels like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has really stepped up amidst all of the Lakers’ injuries right? Actually, over the last 10 games, he’s averaging 11.8 points per game on 45.5% shooting from the field. Over that span, he ranks last on the Lakers in Defensive Efficiency.
He’s been awful, but he does lead the Lakers in one unofficial category: He lets more opposing guards blow by him and get to the rim than any other Laker player. Good job KCP! Seriously speaking, though, it would be nice if the guy gave at least a 70% effort on D.
Guys like KCP, who are supposed to be 3-and-D players, but who play appallingly bad defense and can’t hit over 40% of their 3-pointers don’t last long in the league. Just ask Vladimir Radmanovic. (Remember him? He bricked more open 3-pointers than any Laker I can remember not named Kyle Kuzma.)
Side Story: When I was seven or eight years old my good friend’s family invited my family out to a pizza restaurant in LA. The restaurant was really crowded because there was a large contingent of Lakers fans eating pizza and watching the Purple and Gold take on the Trail Blazers.
During the game, Radmanovic went something like 0-for-10 or 1-for-10 on his 3-point shots, and every time he missed from behind the arc, my good friend decided to run around the restaurant screaming, “Go Blazers Go!
Almost everybody at the restaurant was with their family or friends and they just wanted to have a nice night out, so even though my buddy was being super obnoxious, they ignored him, but there was one dude with a scraggly beard sitting in the corner by himself who kept eye-balling my good pal.
Every time Radmanovic bricked a 3-pointer and my buddy ran around the restaurant screaming “Go Blazers Go!” The creepy guy crossed his arms a little tighter and scowled a little harder. Finally, after Radmanovic missed his 10th 3-pointer (I’m estimating of course), the angry Lakers fan came up to my friend’s dad and said, “Why don’t you teach your son some manners?”
My friend’s dad said, “What?”
Creepy dude said, “Why is he running around cheering for the Jailblazers (I clearly remember him saying Jailblazers, instead of Trail Blazers)? Don’t we live in LA?
My friend’s dad seeing that the guy probably had eight beers swirling around inside of his belly and had some deep seeded anger issues said, “I’m sorry about my son.”
Then the guy said, “Tell me it won’t happen again.”
“What”
“you heard me. Tell me it won’t happen again.”
My friend’s dad sighed and said, “It won’t happen again.”