Los Angeles Lakers regular season grades: Backcourt players

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: F

Defensive Real Plus-Minus: -2.18 (12th)

Field-Goal Percentage Differential: +4.9 (12th)

Defensive Rating: 109.4 (10th)

Offensive Rating: 105.7 (4th)

On/Off Offensive Differential: 0.6 (4th)

Traditional Stats: 11 PPG, 3 RPG, 1 APG, .430 FG%

KCP had an average offensive year for the Lakers. He finished the season with one of the better offensive ratings on the Purple and Gold, but he still shot the ball poorly from the field and he showed no playmaking ability from the guard position.

The reason Caldwell-Pope gets an F for the season is because of his defensive effort.

KCP is 6”5’, 205 pounds, with a 6”7’ reach, and he’s a five-year veteran. He has the size, strength, and athleticism to be a top-5 defender at his position, but he finished the year as the Lakers worst overall defender and as one of the worst defensive players in the NBA.

His defensive real plus-minus rating of -2.18 was 102nd out of 114 shooting guards, just ahead of Malik Monk, Marco Belinelli, and Lou Williams.

KCP allowed the player he was guarding to shoot nearly 5% better than his average, which was 373rd out of 409 qualified players in the NBA during the season.

KCP didn’t try on defense, and for an NBA player, that’s inexcusable.