1. He brings effort defensively
KCP isn’t the greatest defender in the NBA, but he’s a relatively above-average one.
The area that he really contributes to is team defense. He’s the type who will get steals and deflections and at least make a concerted effort to bother the guy he’s guarding.
His steals numbers aren’t terribly impressive – he’s averaging 1.2 steals per 36 minutes this season – but as part of the Lakers’ overall defensive scheme, he helps.
The fact that he’s a 6-foot-5 shooting guard who weighs 205 pounds gives him the length and girth to adequately cover most opposing 2s without giving up much, if any, size.
In case you haven’t noticed, the Lakers’ defense has been great so far this season. They’re second in defensive rating, fifth in opponents’ 3-point shooting percentage and fourth in opponents’ turnovers through the first 28 games of the season.
KCP may not be able to guard the likes of Kawhi Leonard (which we clearly saw on opening night), but when matched up against opposing guards, he does pretty well.
As long as he remains a Laker, KCP will be a significant role player and contributor to their lofty goals this season.