5.) Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is no doubt a very polarizing player among the Lakers fan-base, as his inconsistency on the offensive end his last two seasons with the team were the main point of contention.
Regardless, Pope was one of the team’s best free-throw shooters last season, hitting them at a 86.7% clip and was often the go-to shooter for technical fouls. In addition, he is also a surprisingly good mid-range shooter, as he made 45% of hit shots for that area, which places him in the 87th percentile amongst players at his position.
But most importantly is the fact that Pope has managed to stay incredibly durable, playing in 74 and 82 games in the two seasons he’s played with the purple and gold so far. You know the old saying, “the best ability is availability”, and Pope should have no problem providing that.
With Avery Bradley still questionable to return to his elite defensive ways, Pope stands as the team’s best point-guard defender, a position that is absolutely stacked, especially in the Western Conference. If the team decides to go all-in with the “LeBron at PG” experiment, they’ll need someone who can match-up at that position defensively, which is where I expect Pope will prove his value.
To make a long-story short, his consistency in staying healthy, and the ability to make meaningful contributions on both ends of the floor are the main factors in Pope’s place in this ranking.