The Los Angeles Lakers are still a couple of weeks away from playing their first meaningful basketball game within the NBA bubble, but Lakers head coach Frank Vogel is already working on his roster’s likely rotation.
According to a Monday report, Vogel has pegged Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as the likely replacement for Avery Bradley in the Lakers’ starting lineup.
It’s likely that @CaldwellPope will be the replacement starter for Avery Bradley (LAL went 17-3 when KCP started for Bradley in the regular season), but Vogel said nothing is written in stone and they’ll continue to compete in practice.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) July 13, 2020
As the report indicates, nothing is yet set in stone. Still, it looks like Caldwell-Pope will be getting the nod when the 2019-20 season starts back up.
He is a very different player from Bradley, but the two both have shown strength on the defensive side of the ball.
On the season, Caldwell-Pope has a defensive rating of 114.5 compared Bradley’s defensive rating of 114.3.
When it comes to other important stats, Caldwell-Pope has averaged 9.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game this season. He struggled mightily at the onset of the 2019-20 campaign, but managed to find his form later in the year.
Bradley averaged 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game this season. He also started in 44 of the 49 games he played.
Before he announced that he would not be joining the Lakers in the bubble in Orlando, Fla., Bradley was expected to serve as one of the team’s major defensive anchors in the postseason.
Now, Caldwell-Pope will have to use his 6-foot-5 frame and 6-foot-8 wingspan to serve as a major perimeter defender for his squad.
As one of the primary championship contenders, the Lakers will need all of their players to perform at their best in the playoffs.
Hopefully, Caldwell-Pope manages to rise to the challenge.
