Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has kept right on rolling despite being moved back into a bench role.
The Los Angeles Lakers have done a lot of shuffling of their lineups throughout the season. Frank Vogel has had his hands full, as the team has dealt with a number of injuries through the first 33 games of the season.
One of the players who has seen their role change multiple times this season is shooting guard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
KCP started the season coming off the bench. He started off slowly, as he didn’t make a shot until the third game of the season. Caldwell-Pope was ice cold from the field, as he also struggled shooting from distance, going 5-of-21 to start the season.
Despite his struggles, he was inserted into the starting lineup when Avery Bradley injured his knee. It was at that point that the former Georgia product began to pick things up.
As a starter, Caldwell-Pope has knocked down 43.1 percent of his 3-point attempts. With his above-average defense, KCP was finally looking like the player the Lakers had hoped they were getting when they signed him for the first time in 2017.
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However, with the Lakers getting healthier, lineup decisions had to be made. Despite playing well, Caldwell-Pope was moved back to the second unit.
During his first two seasons with the Lakers, a dip in production would usually follow a role change. He has played very inconsistently with Los Angeles, but this time around he has been playing so well even a move back to the bench didn’t slow him down.
Instead of falling back into a slump, Caldwell-Pope has actually raised his game even higher. In the four games since being moved back to the bench, KCP has shot 11-of-15 for a scorching 73.3 percent. He has scored at least 13 points in three consecutive games as well.
Given his rocky track record in purple and gold, this has been a great stretch for him. He has been one of the more consistent Lakers of late, as he can be counted on to knock down multiple 3-pointers in a game and play solid defense whether it is in the starting lineup or coming off the bench with the second unit.
Right now, Caldwell-Pope is the best 3-point shooter the Lakers have, as he is knocking down 43 percent from distance. Hopefully, he can keep that up, as he is picking up the slack for the rest of his teammates who have yet to find their groove shooting the ball.