There are some soccer abilities to thank for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s basketball success.
Earlier than he was the Nuggets’ beginning taking pictures guard, Caldwell-Pope was a well-rounded younger athlete. He stated he ran observe and performed soccer, baseball and basketball whereas rising up in Georgia. He was on the Greenville Excessive Faculty soccer workforce for a few years till he dedicated to play basketball on the College of Georgia. That call has paid off, as Caldwell-Pope is on observe to make greater than $100 million in his NBA profession.
“I wasn’t a star, however I did play soccer,” Caldwell-Pope stated to The Denver Gazette after Thursday’s observe.
“I bought slightly soccer ability in me. That’s the place my quickness and my footwork come from.”
Like he’s performed all through a lot of his skilled basketball profession, Caldwell-Pope contributed at each ends of the gridiron. He was initially a cornerback but in addition performed some broad receiver. These abilities have carried over to the court docket.
Caldwell-Pope leads the Nuggets with 1.5 steals per sport. A few of these come when he anticipates a cross, intercepts the ball and turns it into two factors on the opposite finish, basketball’s model of a pick-six. Different instances, Caldwell-Pope has proven the power to dislodge the ball from his opponent’s arms proper earlier than they rating in transition.
“It’s all about timing and simply with the ability to be in the correct place on the proper time after which understanding when you’ve the chance to go for the steal or like swipe on the ball,” Caldwell-Pope stated.
These cornerback abilities additionally repay when he’s chasing his man by way of site visitors. The 30-year-old has a knack for getting the Nuggets stops by drawing offensive fouls. The tighter Caldwell-Pope trails his project whereas navigating a decide, the tougher it’s for the screener to make a authorized play.
“There’s no trick, however the extra I’m aggressive and on the ball, it’s tougher for the screener,” he stated. “When he’s making an attempt to display screen me, he’s shifting lots, as a result of I’m shifting.”
These performs are the type the Nuggets would possibly want as they appear to win the franchise’s first championship. Caldwell-Pope is aware of what it takes, as he’s the one member of the workforce who has hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy earlier than, profitable the 2020 title with the Lakers.
“Whenever you get into the postseason, the sport slows down, and you’ve got to have the ability to get stops. You need to have some toughness and physicality,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone stated after Thursday’s observe. “On the opposite finish, you’ve to have the ability to make photographs. I feel KCP has proven all season lengthy that he’s a premier two-way participant.”
Of the Nuggets who take multiple 3-pointer per sport, nobody has been extra environment friendly than Caldwell-Pope. He made 42.3% of his makes an attempt from 3 this season, regardless of going by way of a taking pictures hunch the place he went 2 for 18 from deep over a six-game stretch in late March and early April. He bought again on observe in his remaining sport of the common season, going 6 for 8 on 3s at Utah.
“I’m a shooter. … I’m going to have taking pictures slumps. I’ve been by way of lots in my profession, so it’s all about taking pictures myself out of it,” Caldwell-Pope stated.
“The boldness is there, and I’m prepared.”
Caldwell-Pope completed his first season in Denver with averages of 10.8 factors, 2.7 rebounds and a couple of.4 assists after the Nuggets acquired the 6-foot-5 wing in a commerce with the Wizards within the offseason. Malone stated in the course of the common season that commerce was made to assist this workforce win within the playoffs. Caldwell-Pope acknowledged he’s talking up within the locker room extra lately. His message is easy: the Nuggets have the whole lot they want.
“We simply bought to defend and care for the ball,” Caldwell-Pope stated, sounding like a soccer coach. “We’ve bought the whole lot else offensive smart. We simply bought to care for the ball and defend.”
After coping with a minor wrist damage and a late-season sickness, Caldwell-Pope stated he’s feeling wholesome and energized to start out the playoffs. His contributions on each ends could possibly be important because the Nuggets look to maintain Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards – one other College of Georgia standout who grew up enjoying soccer and turned these abilities into an early draft choice – in test throughout their first-round sequence, which begins Sunday at Ball Area.
“Figuring out that we now have a man like that, that may guard a number of positions … we all know how beneficial Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is on each ends of the ground,” Malone stated.
