Nuggets’ Kentavious Caldwell-pope on playing with Nikola Jokic
Kentavious Caldwellpope’s teammates tried to warn him, but nothing can prepare a player for the eyes in the back of Nikola Jokic’s head.
With 4:46 left in the second quarter of Monday’s preseason opener, Jokic got the ball on the right elbow, his back completely turned to Caldwell-pope in the corner. While staring at the near corner, Jokic flung a blind pass over his left shoulder to Caldwell-pope in the far corner. There was, at least, a three-second gap between when Jokic last made visual eye contact with Caldwell-pope, and yet he threw it anyway, trusting he’d be in the spot.
Caldwell-pope took off driving and only missed the floater because, according to him, he got slapped in the eye. The moment was revealing, nonetheless.
“It did open my eyes,” Caldwell-pope said. “I didn’t expect that it would come to me.”
Caldwell-pope is Denver’s offseason answer to the 3-and-d question, the guy who can help space the floor without needing the ball in his hands. Although his lone basket Monday night came on a transition dunk, his shot selection was there amid the flow of the offense.
“All the shots he got were great shots for him,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “As I told him after the game, I said, ‘I’m not worried about you going 1-for-8.”
Asked about the ongoing chemistry with the starting unit following Wednesday’s practice, Caldwell-pope made the point that he still needs to learn four different players’ styles, whereas they only need to learn his. In fairness, the only starter playing the same role as last season will be Jokic. With Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. returning, and Aaron Gordon slotting back to his typical forward position, Caldwell-pope is entering a relatively fluid offense.
Fortunately, his game is simple enough.
Run in transition, space the floor, get to the corners, defend, and the rest will take care of itself. “I’m ready for it,” Caldwell-pope said. “… I’m gonna eat a lot.”
Jokic held out: The Nuggets spent most of Wednesday’s practice in a live, competitive setting. Jokic was held out of portions of it for precautionary reasons.
Malone said Jokic’s right wrist has been bothering him, and it didn’t make sense to expose him to any further contact. “Nothing major,” Malone said.
Amid that live portion was a 1-on-1 drill that the Nuggets had long considered incorporating but had never done. The point of the drill was to work on 1-on-1 containment within the context of Denver’s defense. Following the Nuggets’ abysmal defensive performance against the Thunder, the points of emphasis were obvious.
Malone loved the intensity.
“Need to (do it again),” he said.