Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Takeaways from win over Utah Jazz

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope exploded when the lights were brightest

The last two Lake Show Life post game reports were not kind to KCP. To be clear, the reports were downright rough and for good reason. Coming into the Utah game, KCP had come off back-to-back games where he shot a combined 12-for-44 from the field. I remember being on record wondering why KCP wasn’t accompanying Rajon Rondo on the bench for the rest of the season.

It takes a big man to say he might be wrong. For one game I was wrong.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope did to the Utah Jazz in public what Jimmy Butler did to the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this year before getting traded. KCP basically led the South Bay Lakers to victory which included a fireworks scoring display in the 4th quarter. He just did it without cussing out Luke Walton, Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka. He didn’t storm out of the arena and have a ESPN interview with Rachel Nichols either.

His play did scream you guys need me though.

Caldwell-Pope led everyone in the Staples Center in scoring by a mile dropping 32 points while contributing 6 rebounds, 6 assists and a steal. He closed out the game scoring 18 points in the last frame on 8-for-9 shooting. I mean the man was everywhere.

He was active and moving on offense, not just sitting out at the 3-point line but cutting to the basket. He played defense Lakers fans, something I hadn’t seen for months.

Then when Caldwell-Pope established himself as the best player on the floor, he combined forces with JaVale McGee to shut the Staples Center down…

Like Alex Caruso in the Clippers game, the Lakers just handed the ball to KCP to make a play and he delivered. He took Joe Ingles off the dribble drew Rudy Gobert to him and he threw a perfect lob pass to JaVale to close the game out and blew the roof off the Staples Center.

But the question is…

Is the Kentavious Caldwell-Pope that should be a part of the future, or is this just a player that is playing for his next contract? Only time will tell.

Speaking of Alex Caruso…