Los Angeles Lakers guard Kenatvious Caldwell-Pope has made drastic improvements to his game from the very moment he first put on the purple and gold uniform.
Head coach Frank Vogel praised Caldwell-Pope for his work ethic and for the important role that he plays on the team, as he reflected on the growth that Caldwell-Pope has shown over the past couple of seasons, via Harrison Faigen of SB Nation:
“It’s one of the more rewarding things in coaching, when you have a player that was basically not a fan-favorite of Laker Nation to start the season last year,” Vogel said. “But when you see a guy who plays as hard as he does, that brings value whether he’s making shots or missing shots, guys like that earn minutes. And when they earn minutes, they get more comfortable shooting the basketball.
Caldwell-Pope has averaged 11.2 points a game, shooting a remarkable 56.9 percent from 3-point land and 54.8 percent from the field. He was a key part of the Lakers' championship run last season, as he averaged 12.8 points in the Finals against the Miami Heat. Vogel further emphasized why the Lakers success has transferred into this season, reported by Faigen:
“He really had a remarkable growth year last year and has taken it to another level this year. He really does appear to feel very comfortable in his role this year, and he’s a big part of the early season success that we’ve had so far.”
The Lakers are now tied with the Los Angeles Clippers at the top of the Western Conference with a record of 12-4. Their chances of dominating in the playoffs once again and winning back-to-back championships are very high, as they are playing at a very high level right now. If role players such as Caldwell-Pope continue to do their jobs, LeBron James and Anthony Davis will have all of the support they need to bring home another championship.
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