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Kentavious Caldwell-Pope knows what it’s like to be trending for the wrong reasons. Earlier in the season, Lakers fans were so harsh on him online that his teammate Dwight Howard felt he had to go to Caldwell-Pope’s defense publicly, so it’s safe to say that he can relate to him. Same type of cyberbullying that happened to Danny Green all season. playoffs.
And while Caldwell-Pope has changed his game to become one of the most dependable Lakers in the postseason this year, Green’s positive performances have been few in the playoffs. Averaging just 8.6 points per game and 36.5% shooting from deep, Green has been fine, but even with his positive defensive contributions, he hardly resembles the type of player that most fans consider a $ player. 15 million.
Now, there’s some context to all of that: The Lakers have been 21.2 points per 100 possessions better with Green on the court than with him out, he’s a big part of their defensive success, and his contract is a function of the odd market of free agency last summer as much as anything else, but that’s not the kind of nuance that angry people see him miss shots and tweet or comment on significant things in him tend to take into account.
Green has been open about how the social media reaction to his performance made the bubble a dark place at times, and he clearly hasn’t always responded so well. However, Green’s teammates never lost faith in him. In reality, it’s the opposite, as Caldwell-Pope spoke at length after the Lakers beat the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
“I’ve seen Danny in the playoffs that he’s played in, and I’ve seen him hit big shots consistently. For us as a team, we know what Danny can do, ”said Caldwell-Pope. “We encourage him every game to keep shooting. We know Playoff Danny is going to come out and score shots like he did tonight.
Green finished Game 1 with 11 points, hitting three of his eight 3-pointers to help the Lakers reach a franchise-best 11 3-pointers in the first half and make 15 overall (the third-most this postseason). And while that may not be the kind of “Playoff Danny” blast fans were probably expecting when the Lakers signed Green, it’s hard to argue with Caldwell-Pope’s assessment. Green hit timely triples and helped the Lakers turn Game 1 into a blowout, and his role on defense was as important as ever.
“It was big for us tonight,” Caldwell-Pope said.
It was also really hard not to hear Caldwell-Pope’s own experience being criticized online in his support for Green, almost as a way to pay for Howard’s support. Caldwell-Pope knows better than anyone that the only way to overcome these potholes is to keep shooting and try to maintain confidence, and his encouragement for Green is the latest example of the brotherhood and chemistry between these Lakers, and the way they have supported each one. others all year round. They are three wins away from a title, and if Green can have a true “Danny Playoff” moment at some point in this series, as his starting partner in the backcourt suggests, that will only help them get even closer.
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