Category: Klutch Sports

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope talks Lakers chemistry: ‘It’s no pulling apart’

The Los Angeles Lakers guard is feeling unique energy surrounding his team through the first quarter of the season.

The Los Angeles Lakers continue to thump teams despite losing players to injury over the past few weeks, including starting guard Avery Bradley. The leadership of LeBron James and Anthony Davis is, of course, the top story for the Lakers as they sit at 21-3, but they’ve also got a shot in the arm during Bradley’s absence from the often unfairly maligned guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Much of the focus on Caldwell-Pope, as it usually is in the NBA, has been on his shooting as he is making 43% of his 3-pointers over his last 12 games. To him, the shots going in aren’t a shock. But Caldwell-Pope has also often had the duty of guarding opposing ball-handlers, from Damian Lillard to Luka Doncic. Only a few weeks ago, Dwight Howard was moved to defend him on Instagram because of fan comments. To him, that type of stuff stands out more than him hitting shots he feels he can make.

“I got great brothers in the locker room,” Caldwell-Pope told LeBron Wire. “I said that the other day but they’re my brothers. We got each other’s back. I really appreciate those guys for doing that.”

Part of the reason that the support is there from the Lakers is that they also have prided themselves on keeping each other accountable. Whereas with last year’s team LeBron was often watching his words and trying not to be an overbearing vet on a young team, this Lakers team is characterized by everyone coaching each other.

When a clip of LeBron James yelling at Danny Green went viral, it was more an honest reflection of how they criticize each other to get better. Green spoke to that last week and Caldwell-Pope believes that culture is a constant for the Lakers.

“I mean, in film sessions, everybody talks,” Caldwell-Pope told LeBron Wire. “Everybody has their opinions on what we can do to get better. It’s not just pointing people out. It’s to get better. We are always on each other, hold each other accountable and we get better from that.”

As early as Media Day, LeBron himself had mentioned the difference in the environment on this year’s Lakers team compared to last year’s of exciting but inexperienced pieces. That togetherness, whether it’s in the Instagram comments or in a team photo after a 3-0 road trip, is due in large part to having an experienced team in a league that is always getting younger.

“It’s always good to have a lot of vets in the locker room,” Caldwell-Pope told LeBron Wire. “When times get tough they know how to handle it. And then they keep everybody else within the group and within that unit. We stay together, we gel together and when it’s tough times it’s no pulling apart.”

We can talk endlessly about the elite defense the Lakers are playing and the improved offense over the past few weeks, but this team deserves a lot of credit for sticking together no matter the differences in their play. Sure, winning helps build chemistry but as the Lakers are displaying, having a group of guys that have been around the league and know how special this moment is can only help but bring them together when a rough patch eventually comes.

While Caldwell-Pope’s starting spot may no longer be his when Bradley returns soon, as Bradley has been cleared for full-contact and is day-to-day, the Lakers have earned the benefit of the doubt that moving KCP back to the bench, or bringing Bradley off the bench, won’t be a disruption for an experienced group in the middle of what has been a special season.

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LeBron James says Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has ‘been phenomenal’

Earlier in the season, Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard came to KCP’s defense on Instagram.

While the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to get an update after they get back to L.A. on the status of guard Avery Bradley, the good news for them is that his replacement has performed amicably in his stead, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

KCP, at several points during his Lakers tenure, has been someone that many fans and media often harped on via social media (usually unfairly) to the point that Dwight Howard defended him on Instagram earlier this season. That moment was representative of the current Lakers group, a complete juxtaposition to the squad that performed well at times last year but truly never looked in-sync.

After Wednesday night’s win, LeBron James was asked about Caldwell-Pope, whom he said has “been phenomenal,” as transcribed by Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen and Roll.

Caldwell-Pope has usually had the task of guarding opposing team’s primary ball-handler, as Bradley did. He’s done an excellent job, using his 6-5 frame and length to put pressure on the ball. Offensively, he’s found his stroke as LeBron mentioned above.

Over the last 10 games, Caldwell-Pope is averaging 10.3 points per game on 52% shooting from the field and a scorching 45.9% from the 3-point line. He’s also thrown in nearly two assists per game to go with it.

When Bradley returns, Vogel may have to make a decision on whether he wants to keep KCP in the lineup and bring Bradley off the bench. The team has played very well when both have started, so it will be hard for the team to be upset no matter which way he goes. As far as problems go, this is one that you want to have as an NBA coach.

 

LeBron James is driving the Anthony Davis DPOY bandwagon

LeBron James is already hitting the gas on the Defensive Player of the Year campaign for his Los Angeles Lakers teammate Anthony Davis.

Throughout most of the 16-2 start for the Los Angeles Lakers in the first month of the season, the conversation has often been about a change on the defensive end by LeBron James who had been maligned for his defense over the past couple of seasons.

But a concurrent storyline to LeBron’s defensive renaissance has been the play and leadership of Anthony Davis on that end. Davis leads the NBA in blocked shots through the first 18 games of the season and he’s making a strong case for his first ever Defensive Player of the Year award as he anchors the No. 2 defense in defensive efficiency, according to Basketball Reference.

LeBron James added his voice to that case for DPOY on Friday afternoon ahead of their game against the Washington Wizards.

James deserves plenty of credit for how this season has unfolded, telling Davis that he was a priority offensively while also letting Davis lead on the defensive end to make the Lakers one of the best defenses in the league. But being the teammate he is, James is speaking even louder about Davis to make sure The Brow’s heroic efforts get just as much shine as LeBron’s league-leading assist lead and defensive turnaround.

LeBron on AD’s return to NOLA: ‘We have to make him feel as comfortable as possible’

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James reflected on his own experiences playing against his former team for the first time.

For the second year in a row, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers once again have an important road trip before Thanksgiving that features a homecoming game for their star player. But this time it’s not LeBron James making a trip to Cleveland but rather Anthony Davis making his return to New Orleans after asking for a trade earlier this calendar year.

The way things ended for Davis and the Pelicans wasn’t pretty. With the trade request happening midseason, it created a long tension that enveloped both the Pelicans and the Lakers, as players on the Lakers feared they would be traded while the Pelicans had lost their best player. But it’s still hard to imagine it being anything like LeBron’s first game back in Cleveland.

Even though the vitriol and animosity likely won’t be on the same level of LeBron’s 2010 return to Cleveland, LeBron knows what’s important for a team to do when a player has an emotional game on the schedule, according to USA TODAY’s Mark Medina.

James talked about “eerie” feelings and knowing how bizarre it can feel to go back to a place where you spent your formative years. But having someone who can truly relate to Davis on that level may make it a little bit easier for him to adjust to playing his first game at the Smoothie King center as a visitor.

 

LeBron James, Lakers celebrate Anthony Davis Haute Living cover

LeBron James, Anthony Davis and a few others celebrated the occasion at a party with some of the world’s most expensive cognac.

If the Los Angeles Lakers come out to a strong start tonight against the Atlanta Hawks, perhaps they can credit a night of hanging out and sipping on extremely expensive cognacs as a key to their success.

LeBron James one of a few Lakers teammates to join Anthony Davis at a celebration his a cover story about him in the luxury magazine Haute Living, where they were honored by the magazine and then gifted some Hennessy XO as well as Louis XIII, a cognac that goes for over $3,000 in some places online. Avery Bradley and DeMarcus Cousins were some of the other Lakers in attendance at the event, according to photos.

(Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Haute Living)

Times are good with the Lakers and the drinks were flowing last night. Davis spoke earlier this week about making sure to have fun in every game with LeBron James, but the time off the court appears to be pretty fun as well.

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Report: Anthony Davis probable, KCP questionable for Friday vs. Kings

The Los Angeles Lakers will likely get Anthony Davis back in the line-up when they host the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

The Los Angeles Lakers should get back one of their key players when they host former head coach Luke Walton and the Sacramento Kings on Friday night at Staples Center.

Anthony Davis is officially listed as probable, meaning he has a 75% chance to play, according to Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group. However, while the Lakers will likely get back Davis on Friday they will likely be without reserve guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who is questionable after turning his ankle in the closing moments of Wednesday’s win over the Golden State Warriors. However, getting Davis back will likely be more than enough against a Kings group missing De’Aaron Fox.

While the Caldwell-Pope injury was concerning, the Lakers did get some solid contributions from other players who will have to step in for however long KCP has to sit out. Quinn Cook played nearly 25 minutes while Alex Caruso eclipsed 27 minutes on Wednesday.

Caldwell-Pope’s absence will call for more minutes from the Lakers younger guards, but Caruso, Cook and even Troy Daniels have proven they can step in to produce in a pinch at various points so far this season.

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Report: Anthony Davis officially listed as out against Warriors

Anthony Davis is officially going to sit out Wednesday’s game for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Golden State Warriors.

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Star Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis has officially been ruled out of Wednesday night’s matchup with a much-diminished Golden State Warriors group, according to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes.

Earlier today, doubt was cast on the six-time All-Star’s availability for the contest, due primarily to a rib injury sustained in Tuesday’s win over the Phoenix Suns. With forward Kyle Kuzma having returned from an ankle injury sustained in FIBA World Cup play this summer, Davis’ presence may be being viewed as superfluous given the opponent at hand.

However, with X-rays coming back negative, it appears the sorry state of their opponent’s roster and the potential for a more serious injury playing in a game that should be easily winnable without Davis seems to be playing a role in the news the Chicago native will be sitting Wednesday night.

With a long season still ahead and one of the West’s thinner frontcourt rotations, a cautious approach is absolutely a wise move. Given Davis typically misses roughly a tenth of the season or more to injury even in a good year, preserving the critical big man’s health for more difficult regular-season matchups, particularly when they aren’t on the back end of a back-to-back.

With a relatively easy slate of games ahead for the rest of the month, facing struggling and rebuilding franchises like the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards should allow the Lakers to play their star players limited minutes, minimizing the need for load management until December.