The Los Angeles Lakers are receiving a huge boost to their lineup as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is expected to return for Game 5 against the Phoenix Suns.
Caldwell-Pope initially suffered a left quad contusion in the third quarter of Game 3 after attempting to make a sudden stop to avoid fouling Devin Booker.
Los Angeles ruled him out for Game 4 and inserted Wesley Matthews into the starting lineup, who made 2-of-5 3-pointers to help heal the shooting hole left by Caldwell-Pope.
Caldwell-Pope’s defense on Booker has been a vital component to the Lakers’ overall success on that end of the floor, as Booker has to work more for a better look when Caldwell-Pope is hounding him.
Ahead of a pivotal Game 5, the Lakers will have his presence back on the floor, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
Lakers shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is expected to return to the lineup tonight in Phoenix after missing Game 4 with a sore left knee, sources tell me and @wojespn
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 1, 2021
This news might also mean fewer minutes for Ben McLemore, who played a series-high 16 minutes in Game 4 and made 2-of-3 3-pointers off the bench.
However, Caldwell-Pope’s defense is vastly superior to McLemore’s, who had struggles both on and off the ball that cost L.A in the game.
It’ll be interesting to see how many minutes Caldwell-Pope plays since it’s his first game back, and the overall mobility of his leg is something to monitor as Phoenix may try to exploit that.
Still, with Anthony Davis unlikely to play, this news is certainly a relief for the Lakers.
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