KCP missing piece for title push
Malone believes his addition a key to Nuggets’ hopes
If Kentavious Caldwell-pope had any extra juice Wednesday night, the Mavericks can thank the NBA for snubbing the Nuggets’ leading marksman in this weekend’s 3-point contest.
Despite being the top shooter (45%) on the top 3-point shooting team in the NBA, Caldwell-pope didn’t receive the invite he badly coveted. In Denver’s 118-109 win over Dallas, Caldwell-pope was phenomenal, on both ends of the floor. He finished with 14 points on 3-for-6 from the 3-point line, with five rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
As he was talking to a reporter in the postgame locker room, a teammate yelled, “You talking about how you got robbed?”
“I really tried to get out there and show them, it’s a lot of great shooters in this league, and if we’re going to put in the work to be the best, we should be at least rewarded or have an opportunity to showcase it,” Caldwell-pope said. “That didn’t happen. It’s all good. I’m gonna come back and bring home another trophy.”
Caldwell-pope said he thought he didn’t get the invite because of his lack of attempts (4.3 per game), but he felt he shouldn’t be punished for playing within an unselfish system. Ultimately, he settled on the idea that the Nuggets had bigger goals.
Ever since the Nuggets traded for Caldwell-pope this offseason, coach Michael Malone has raved about his professionalism and his impact.
“We felt like he was the missing piece,” Malone said.
As a floor spacer and defender, Caldwell-pope has been everything the Nuggets could’ve dreamed of when they dealt Monte Morris and Will Barton to Washington.
“The reality is, honestly, KCP
could get (the Defensive Player of the Game chain) every night,” Malone said. “No, really. We should actually name it the KCPDPOG and give it to everybody else.”
His swarming, physical defense has been critical for Denver, which has steadily risen from the 28th-ranked
defense in the NBA to the 13th-ranked outfit. Within that, Caldwell-pope is more than game to handle an opponent’s biggest backcourt threat.
“This is how I start my game, how I stay focused on the defensive end,” he said. He emphasizes getting his hands in passing lanes, swiping unsuspecting dribblers, and ripping fifty-fifty balls like a cornerback. On one Wednesday night, he intercepted an errant pass from Reggie Bullock and beat Luka Doncic to the spot.
As badly as he wanted to showcase his shooting during All-star weekend, Caldwell-pope said he’d live with the alternative.
“Cabo,” he said of his break. “It’s a surprise. My wife is surprising me. Everything is already planned. I just gotta get on the flight.”
Malone did his best to lobby for his players through the media but ultimately, it will just be Denver’s coaching staff and two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic representing the Nuggets in Salt Lake City.
“I just wish KCP was coming to Salt Lake City,” Malone said. “I wish Aaron Gordon was coming to Salt Lake City. I wish Jamal Murray was coming to Salt Lake City. And I wish I wasn’t going to Salt Lake City.”