15-04-2025
Magic count on ‘Playoff KCP' to show up when it matters most
Magic count on 'Playoff KCP' to show up when it matters most
When the Magic signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last summer, it was because he's been a high-level shooter.
And it was hard to blame team president Jeff Weltman.
Caldwell-Pope had shot 40% or better from 3-point range in three of his past four seasons (the outlier being 39%) and was a part of two championship teams in the Nuggets (2023) and Lakers ('20).
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His shooting prowess, however, took longer than expected to translate in Orlando.
During the first 33 games, through Dec. 29 against Brooklyn, Caldwell-Pope shot 28.9% on 4.8 attempts from 3.
He has since turned things around, and all it took was one game.
On Jan. 1 at Detroit, where he spent the first four years of his career, Caldwell-Pope shot 4 of 6.
Just like that he quickly returned to form and has shot 40.1% on 4 attempts from 3 across 42 games entering Tuesday night's Play-In Tournament game vs. the Hawks.
The threat of Caldwell-Pope's accuracy has spread the floor for Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, who thrive by attacking off the dribble to create their own shots..
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And whether the Magic advanced to the first round to No. 2 Boston or host the winner of the Nos. 9-10 Play-In game that takes place Wednesday night between Chicago and Miami, Caldwell-Pope has to be a postseason threat to give them a chance.
'KCP said he lives for these moments,' Wendell Carter Jr. said before the Magic hosted the Hawks. 'He was telling us we're going to see the 'Playoff KCP,' so we all know what that looks like.
'We've all seen what he's done in the postseason in recent years.'
When Caldwell-Pope won his first championship with the Lakers, he shot 37.8% on 5.7 attempts from 3 in 21 playoff games.
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Three years later when he won his second ring with the Nuggets, his 3-point accuracy improved to 38% on 4.6 attempts in 20 games.
The Magic only had two players who appeared in at least six of their seven games in the first-round series against the Cavaliers shoot above 32% from distance: Banchero (40% on 5.7 attempts) and forward Jonathan Isaac (37% on 3.9).
It's where Caldwell-Pope can be a difference-maker should the Magic advance to the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
'He's going to help us so much on both ends of the court,' Carter said. 'His shot-making ability and the way he can defend, him leading not only with his voice but by example, is going to help us take that leap.'
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@
