Since coming to the Los Angeles Lakers two seasons ago, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been a target for many fans. But they should start laying off of him.
Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was once a lottery pick. Chosen with the eighth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, he played the first four seasons of his career with the Detroit Pistons.
He signed with the L.A. Lakers in the summer of 2017 and had a strong first season with 13.4 points and 5.2 rebounds a game while shooting 38.3 percent from 3-point range.
Last season, though, he struggled mightily, only hitting 34.7 percent of his 3-point attempts while being wildly inconsistent.
His poor play in 2018-19 caused many Lakers fans to turn on KCP. They not only complained about his unreliable shot-making but also about his contract. He signed a one-year contract last season that paid him $12 million, way too much money for a player who shot as badly as he did.
Partly as a result of his struggles, he was also the subject of trade rumors, and according to reports, there was at least one proposed trade that he nixed due to his no-trade clause.
Fast forward several months, and KCP is playing really well so far this season.
After a shaky start to the season, he has regained his shooting eye. KCP has made 45.5 percent of his shots and 38.4 percent of his treys through the first 28 games of this year.
At this point, he’s been a key member of the Lakers’ rotation, and there’s no question that he’s contributed in a positive manner to their 24-5 record.
Here are three reasons why fans of the Purple and Gold need to start cutting KCP some slack and give him some credit.