Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on LeBron James: ‘I don’t think I see that spark in him’

Like Frye, Caldwell-Pope said he hopes James is set up to be the best version of himself as he goes through the twilight of his career. “Just watching the games, it just looks like there’s no basketball over there,” Caldwell-Pope said. “It’s just …

Like Frye, Caldwell-Pope said he hopes James is set up to be the best version of himself as he goes through the twilight of his career. “Just watching the games, it just looks like there’s no basketball over there,” Caldwell-Pope said. “It’s just playing pickup. It’s hard to watch sometimes. So from me to him, just get the team together, and I just want to see that spark in him again. I don’t think I see that spark in Bron. So, hopefully, he can get it back.”

Source: Dave McMenamin @ ESPN

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StatMuse @statmuse
Most 20/5/10 games by active players:
224 — Westbrook
224 — LeBron pic.twitter.com/BCjrwOIsQI – 8:25 AM

Mary Schmitt Boyer/Jodie Valade @PDcavsinsider
LeBron James seems to love what’s going on in Cleveland. Photo: AP #Cavs pic.twitter.com/ZRHcA4aikC – 8:01 AM

Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
Check out this week’s Forward Progress on SiriusXM Sports!
🏈 Deion Sanders’ Impact on HBCUs
🏀 Kyrie Irving Controversy
🏀 LeBron’s New Allegiance
Listen Here: 📻 https://t.co/cGXZj8cDMl pic.twitter.com/qQYKSjzq0V – 11:12 PM
Sean Highkin @highkin
LeBron pays tribute to Takeoff pic.twitter.com/qwZbkfkbKi – 11:09 PM

Dave McMenamin @mcten
New story: Anthony Davis only took 2 shots in the 2nd half in LA’s Sunday loss. How does that get fixed? LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Darvin Ham all had different answers es.pn/3DE7n9j – 9:28 PM
Chris Fedor @ChrisFedor
#Cavs-Lakers wasn’t about LeBron & what Cleveland no longer has. It was a showcase of this rise that LeBron praised
“They have a really good team, a great coach, well-balanced and a bunch of kids on their team that seem like they just want to play ball”
cleveland.com/cavs/2022/11/c… – 9:21 PM
Chris Fedor @ChrisFedor
#Cavs flip the script on LeBron, Lakers for the first time since 2018.
cleveland.com/cavs/2022/11/c… – 7:45 PM
Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
LeBron James jokes he’ll get in trouble for praising Cleveland just like he did during All-Star weekend, but he did so anyway. pic.twitter.com/cc3HTPxLA2 – 6:48 PM

Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
LeBron James, when asked about the Cavs, said he got in trouble after speaking highly of the Cavs to @Jason Lloyd and @TheAthletic last All-Star break: “Jason’s my friend. Is Jason Lloyd here? He didn’t make the trip.” – 6:47 PM
Kyle Goon @kylegoon
Asked what he makes of the Cavs now that he’s played them, LeBron references his @Jason Lloyd interview last season, saying last time he talked about the Cavs, “I got in trouble.” – 6:46 PM
Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
LeBron James: “Our record is what our record is.” pic.twitter.com/M09ZMsH7KD – 6:42 PM

Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
LeBron James on trying to get Anthony Davis going offensively pic.twitter.com/ta7K6BkWtj – 6:41 PM

Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
Donovan Mitchell on the Cavs beating a LeBron James team pic.twitter.com/Yfz8Fy33La – 6:38 PM

Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
A big question for me at the start of the season was whether LeBron and AD would look good enough that it was worth trading picks to surround them with more talent. They don’t right now. – 6:08 PM
Joe Gabriele @CavsJoeG
Red-hot #Cavs make it eight straight – turn up D, blow past cool-shooting Lakers after H, 114-100; start 3Q on 13-4 run, go on 17-0 run in 3Q/4Q to seal the deal; CLE holds LAL to 36pts after H; Mitchell, 6th game of 30+; first time CLE has beaten LeBron in Lakers uniform. pic.twitter.com/jRHjUaK7uf – 6:06 PM

Danny Cunningham @RealDCunningham
Eight straight wins for the #Cavs. The 8-1 start ties the 1976-77 team for the best start to a season without LeBron James in franchise history. – 6:04 PM
Brad Turner @BA_Turner
Lakers drop to 2-7 after 114-100 loss to Cleveland. LeBron James led Lakers with 27 points, AD and Russell Westbrook both had 19. Donovan Mitchell had 33 for Cavs and Darius Garland had 24. – 6:01 PM
Kyle Goon @kylegoon
FINAL: Cavs 114, Lakers 100.
Great start. Bad finish. Lakers were outscored 56-36 after halftime. LeBron still having shooting issues. Westbrook and Davis faded in the second half. The supporting cast couldn’t pick it up offensively. Getting to be familiar issues. – 6:00 PM
Mary Schmitt Boyer/Jodie Valade @PDcavsinsider
CAVS WIN! Cleveland moves to 8-1 with a win over LeBron and the Lakers, 114-100. Photo: AP #Cavs pic.twitter.com/F2VD4KTF6x – 6:00 PM

Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
Final: Cavs 114, Lakers 100
The Lakers fall to 2-7. A six-point halftime lead turned into a 14-point loss. LeBron James had 27 points and 7 rebounds. AD had 19 points and 12 rebounds. Russell Westbrook had 19 points and 10 assists.
Up next: at Utah tomorrow. – 6:00 PM
Dave McMenamin @mcten
The Lakers fell apart in the 2nd half with a 114-100 loss to the Cavs. LA is now 2-7. LeBron 27p 7r 4a; AD 19p 12r; Westbrook 19p 10a 2s 7tos. The Lakers shot 8-for-26 from 3 and had 17 turnovers leading to 21 pts for CLE. Mitchell had 33p for The Land. – 5:59 PM
Kyle Goon @kylegoon
The Lakers allow Allen to get an offensive rebound and putback, putting the Cavs up 109-92 with 4:50 left. Lakers are cooked. Ham put in Russ, LeBron and AD together early in the quarter to push and close the gap, but it didn’t work. – 5:50 PM
John Schuhmann @johnschuhmann
LeBron just ended a streak of 16 straight misses from 3-point range.
He’s the only player on the Lakers’ roster who shot the league average or better on at least 100 3PA last season. – 5:49 PM
Kyle Goon @kylegoon
That breaks a streak of 16 straight 3-point misses for LeBron James. He’s hit just two FG attempts outside of a 5-foot radius of the rim today. – 5:48 PM
Dave McMenamin @mcten
LeBron James is 0-for-3 from 3 today – extending his current cold spell to 16 missed 3s in a row, going back to the 4th Q of the loss in Denver. – 5:46 PM
Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
Third quarter: Cavs 87, Lakers 80
The Cavs outscored the Lakers 29-16 in another dreadful third-quarter performance from LA. The Lakers’ 3-point (4-18, 22.2%) and FT (10-18, 55.6%) struggles are catching up to them. Stopped playing with pace. LeBron has 22. AD has 19 and 11. – 5:28 PM
Dave McMenamin @mcten
Here’s a formula for Lakers success this season: AD (17p 8r), Russ (14p 5a), LeBron (12p 4r) all playing well at the same time and LAL’s defense holding its opponent under 40% from the field. Lakers up 64-58 at the half on Cleveland. – 4:53 PM
Joe Gabriele @CavsJoeG
Good news: Garland, Mitchell go off for 21pts apiece; bad news: rest of team is 4-22FG; #Cavs still right there – trail LAL at H, 64-58; Mitchell, 6-9FG, 9-9FT; Garland, 6-11FG, 3-6 3ptFG; Mobley, Allen, scoreless, combined 0-6FG, 3PF each; LAL’s Davis, 17pts; LeBron, 12. pic.twitter.com/p914j6rzM1 – 4:52 PM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon
Lakers 64, Cavs 58 at the half. AD with 17, Russ with 14, LeBron with 12. Lakers have been impressive in many respects, but the Cavs’ guards are walking buckets: Garland and Mitchell each have 21 points. – 4:47 PM
Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
Halftime: Lakers 64, Cavs 58
Anthony Davis has 17 points and 8 rebounds. Russell Westbrook has 14 points and 5 assists. LeBron James has 12 points. The Lakers are dominating the Cavs 38-16 in the paint. The teams have combined to attempt 40 FTs (Cavs at 91.%, Lakers at 58.8%). – 4:47 PM
Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Big play … LeBron’s and-1 in transition drew the 3rd PF on Allen, who will sit. Mobley has 2 PF’s, too. – 4:20 PM
Kyle Goon @kylegoon
LeBron just drove into Jarrett Allen’s chest for an and-1. The CLE big man has three fouls. – 4:20 PM
Chris Fedor @ChrisFedor
Look at these dudes LeBron is sharing the floor with right now. Sheesh. – 4:18 PM
Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook combine to score 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting in the first quarter. That has to be their best quarter as a trio. – 4:12 PM
Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
LeBron finishes after crashing to the floor. Westbrook steals an inbounds pass. AD finishes after crashing to the floor, too. Lakers crowd elated with things coming together. – 3:55 PM
Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
LAL are off to a good start in this day game against the Cavs, scoring the first 7 before Mitchell grabbed a ball that got deflected by the Lakers and drew a PF.
Brown Jr. has a 3, and LeBron and AD both scored at the rim. – 3:44 PM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Maybe I’m the only one, but I miss Cavs Bron – 3:41 PM
Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
Lakers’ starters vs. Cleveland:
Kendrick Nunn
Lonnie Walker IV
Troy Brown Jr.
LeBron James
Anthony Davis – 3:19 PM
Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
Lakers starters vs Cavs: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kendrick Nunn, Lonnie Walker IV, Troy Brown Jr. – 3:01 PM
Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Lakers starters today vs. Cleveland at 12:30 on @SpectrumSN:
Kendrick Nunn (in for Patrick Beverley)
Lonnie Walker IV
Troy Brown Jr.
LeBron James
Anthony Davis – 3:00 PM
Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
Lakers coach Darvin Ham said LeBron James has handled his injuries/illness this week “like a champ.” Ham: “He’s one of the guys that I hardly ever worry about. He’s going to do everything with his due diligence and everything within his power to be on the floor.” – 2:59 PM
Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
Lakers officially determine that LeBron James (sore left foot), Anthony Davis (tight lower back) and Wenyen Gabriel (non-Covid illness) will be available for today’s game vs the Cavs – 2:58 PM
David Locke @DLocke09
LeBron James is 9 of 51 on above the break 3 point shots – 2:57 PM
Austin Burton @Amaar_206
NBA League Pass Game of the Day: Cavaliers at Lakers
LeBron usually brings out his best when facing his former/hometown squad, but the GCOAT has been struggling for at least the last two Lakers’ games. And this Cleveland team (7-1) might be a legit title contender. pic.twitter.com/FwUdceb2jz – 2:20 PM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon
Lakers have updated that Wenyen Gabriel is AVAILABLE today. Darvin Ham said a little earlier that LeBron AD are good to go as well. – 2:07 PM
Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
Darvin Ham says both LeBron James and Anthony Davis will play today. He hasn’t decided who will replace Patrick Beverley in the starting lineup yet. – 1:56 PM
Brad Turner @BA_Turner
LeBron and AD will play for Lakers vs Cavs, per Darvin Ham – 1:56 PM
Ryan Blackburn @NBABlackburn
I also asked Michael Malone about KCP. He had a great, under-the-radar game. Malone referenced the way KCP carries himself and that he’s happy KCP’s here. – 11:30 PM
Michael Singer @msinger
#Nuggets have six players with at least seven points so far tonight. Their offense has the capability of overwhelming so many teams. That’s MPJ, Joker, KCP, Jamal, Bruce and Bones. – 9:57 PM
TJ McBride @TJMcBrideNBA
Ive tweeted this before, but the outline of a truly dominant Nuggets team has always been visible even through their struggles.
The defense of Brown/KCP/Gordon, return of Murray, MPJ’s easy scoring, staggering MPJ to the bench w/ Hyland, Jokic existing. It’s all there. – 9:56 PM
TJ McBride @TJMcBrideNBA
Bones came up holding onto his hip it looked like after that attempted offensive rebound. He is staying in and did not call for a sub, but Malone is getting KCP off the bench to check in for him it appears. Will update again shortly. – 9:42 PM
TJ McBride @TJMcBrideNBA
I love Malone bringing in Bruce Brown off the bench first for MPJ and then bringing back MPJ for KCP a few minutes later. Denver bridges to MPJ with defense and then Bones and MPJ unload on offense until the starters begin to blend back in.
That is a great rotation. – 9:37 PM
TJ McBride @TJMcBrideNBA
With the core rotation healthy, Christian Braun is no longer the first man off the bench. Bruce Brown took that role and was followed by Hyland and Jeff Green.
MPJ will be in for KCP most likely at the next stoppage. – 9:26 PM
Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN
Spurs: Jones, Branham, Johnson, Sochan, Poeltl
Nuggets: Murray, KCP, Gordon, Porter, Jokic – 9:08 PM
TJ McBride @TJMcBrideNBA
Nuggets sticking with regular starters tonight as expected.
Jamal Murray
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Michael Porter Jr.
Aaron Gordon
Nikola Jokic – 8:31 PM
StatMuse @statmuse
The Nuggets have been shooting lights out:
KCP — 52.8 3P% | 2.7 3PM
MPJ — 49.1 3P% | 3.7 3PM
Brown — 46.7 3P% | 1.8 3PM
Bones — 43.8 3P% | 2.3 3PM
Leading the league in 3P%. pic.twitter.com/1EWGgDfYJt – 11:14 AM

More on this storyline

Michael Singer: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (ankle) is available tonight, I’m told. -via Twitter @msinger / October 30, 2022
Katy Winge: Nuggets injury update ahead of Friday’s home game vs Utah: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (left ankle sprain) – questionable Michael Porter Jr (lumbar spine injury management) – questionable Davon Reed (personal reasons) – questionable -via Twitter @katywinge / October 27, 2022
“Right now, LeBron is thinking for everyone instead of just being LeBron,” Frye said. “And it’s just like, damn. You just want to see him be able to just — I don’t want to say relax, not relax — but to be sort of one-dimensional. Do you need him as point guard? Do you need him as off guard? Where do you need him? And he does that. “Not like, ‘Hey, LeBron … we just need you to do a little bit of everything.'” -via ESPN / November 7, 2022
The Lakers have a roster with three future Hall of Famers, yet all three are either aging or passive or just plain detached. LeBron James has been fighting illness, but it still looks like he’s lost a half-step, he’s not getting to the foul line, his shot is not falling, he’s not always finishing, and he’s not very happy. “Our record is our record,” he said glumly. Anthony Davis has been playing through a sore back, but he hasn’t always been playing with enough aggression, not always demanding the ball, and he disappeared completely in the fourth quarter Sunday, didn’t even attempt a shot. The usually gregarious big man wasn’t available for postgame comment, which spoke volumes. -via Los Angeles Times / November 7, 2022
“I’m not disillusioned. I’m not … nah, none of that. No anger. None of that,” Ham said. “I’m here to help this team. I’m here to help Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] turn stuff around. I’m here to help Bron. I’m here to help AD. Russ. I’m here to help. And I’m not about to let them see me down or uninspired or whatever. This is part of sports. You got to experience the bad before you get to the good. And that’s where I’m at.” I asked him if he was questioning whether he had a championship team in his locker room. “Nah, it’s not about that,” he said. “To me, it’s about making this the best possible team day in and day out that I can possibly make it through our hard work and our togetherness. And once we do that, we’ll see where it takes us.” -via Los Angeles Times / November 7, 2022