Getty Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on with teammate JaVale McGee.
Despite the Los Angeles Lakers scorching start to the season, the early going has not been kind to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Caldwell-Pope is averaging just 5.3 points on 35.8% shooting from the field, including a miserable 22.7% from behind the arc just over 19 minutes per game. His defense has been a bright spot, but it’s been overlooked due to some tough mistakes that have clams clamoring, “Trade KCP.”
With the noise growing, Dwight Howard stepped up on social media to stand up for his teammate on one of those “trade KCP” comments.
“Ayy ya’ll need to kil the kcp noise. He is a Laker. And we don’t do that. Let’s uplift each other. Cmon bro. We all a family.”
Who would have known: Dwight, the ultimate teammate.
Howard went more in-depth on his comments following the Lakers 120-94 beatdown of Golden State.
“Because we’re a family. We talk about Lakers Nation, we talk about winning a championship, and we need everybody on the same page. KCP is my teammate. He’s my brother. And he’s a part of this family. We don’t talk bad about nobody that’s on our team,” Howard told reporters. “We’re gonna need KCP to win this championship, and I don’t think it’s right for anybody to wish any type of harm or any type of danger on my teammate. Of course there’s going to be nights where guys miss shots, miss layups but we need to set a standard. If we want to win a championship, everybody has got to have that same championship mentality. We’ve got to be on the same page. If we’re on the same page as an organization and as a fanbase and as a team, there’s nothing that we can’t accomplish.
“I don’t really like anybody talking about my brother like that. We shouldn’t do that. The fans should not do that. We’re together in this. If we win, everybody wins. That’s just how I look at it.”
For what it’s worth Anthony Caruso — the Bald Mamba himself — also stepped up, writing on the same post: “Say it louder for the people in the back.”
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Injured Against Warriors
Adding insult to injury, KCP went down with an ankle ailment midway through the fourth quarter against the Warriors, but the Lakers received some good news when his X-rays came back negative.
X-Rays were negative on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s left ankle injury. He’ll be re-evaluated tomorrow.
He had six points on 3-of-9 shooting in 19 minutes of action before going down. However, his time on the court also afforded Anthony Davis — who sat out the game with shoulder and rib soreness — and the rest of the Lakers a quick laugh on a missed layup that got stuck on the side of the rim.
It’s just been that kind of season for Caldwell-Pope, but at least the Lakers could chuckle up big against the former juggernaut Warriors.
Anthony Davis Injury News: When to Expect Lakers Star Back
Davis has gutted through a lingering shoulder issue, but missed his first game of the season against the lowly Warriors on Wednesday. It was the second half of a back-to-back and Davis had played 38 minutes in a victory over the Suns on Tuesday.
“There’s really never a play I don’t feel it,” Davis said of his shoulder earlier this week. “I try not to let it affect my game. I just play through it and then worry about taking care of it after the game.”
He isn’t expected to miss extended time with the injury. Davis is averaging a whopping 26.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks this season.
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