The Los Angeles Lakers are finally back in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the 2019-20 NBA season. They are once again facing the Denver Nuggets in a rematch from the 2020 playoffs.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a member of the Nuggets this time around. KCP is facing his former team, and he was asked to pick the better team from the 2020 Lakers and the 2023 Lakers.
“Ooooh, I’m going with us,” KCP said, per Melissa Rohlin of FOX Sports. “For sure.”
Caldwell-Pope was a crucial part of the 2020 NBA Championship-winning roster of the Los Angeles Lakers. Keeping that in mind, it’s not a surprise that he picked the 2020 Lakers over the current version of the team.
The 30-year-old is fulfilling a similar role for the Nuggets this season. He is averaging 11.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.5 BPG, and 1.4 SPG while shooting 48.5% from the field and 38.9% from downtown.
The Nuggets currently hold a 1-0 lead in the series after a six-point Game 1 win vs. the Lakers. KCP and co. will be hoping to make it 2-0 in the Friday matchup, while the Purple and Gold will try to level the series at 1-1.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Thinks LeBron James Found His ‘Spark’ After NBA Trade Deadline
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the last person on the Nuggets roster who’d underestimate the talents of LeBron James.
The veteran shooting guard recently explained the major difference between Nikola Jokic and LeBron James. Apart from that, KCP also talked about how the King has gotten his spark back.
“He’s gotten it back,” Caldwell-Pope told FOX Sports. “I feel like it happened after the trade deadline. Just seeing them guys play, I watched pretty much every game. He’s just relentless. Just seeing him continuing to do what he’s doing at his age and the years that he’s been in the league, it’s truly amazing.”
LeBron recorded 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists in the Game 1 defeat. It was certainly one of the better performances by James this postseason.
While the Nuggets currently lead the series, they cannot take the Lakers for granted. After all, it took a near-perfect game from Jokic to register a six-point win over the Lakers in Game 1.
