Los Angeles Lakers: Player grades through All-Star break
5. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had a very bad start to the season. Fans were pleading for the Lakers to trade him and it was almost a nightly occurrence to see him on the blooper real. But he weathered through that rough start and a vote of confidence helped ignite his game again.
He has proved to be a vital piece whether it is spot starting games or coming off the bench. He is putting up by far the best numbers of his career and his play will be very important when the rotations shorten late in the year.
On the season he is shooting splits of 47/41.5/82, which is outstanding. The FG% is 4.1 percent higher than any total of his career and the 3-point percentage is 3.2 percent higher than any total of his career. He is simply playing effective basketball for this team.
His eFG% of 56.9 percent and TS% of 60.1 percent are both by far the highest of his career. His shooting is a big key why the Lakers are one of the better long-distance shooting teams in basketball. It’s been an incredible turnaround for KCP.
His win shares and BPM are both on pace to be the highest of his career. He is having a positive impact on both ends of the floor. His play is crucial off the bench and he can even close games if needed.
His poor start is a thing of the past and he has put together a solid season. From the trade him chants to the important role player. The Lakers have been happy with KCP.