KEY POINTS

  • LeBron James wants Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to take more shots
  • Caldwell-Pope needs to recall his old form to help ease the scoring burden
  • James seems confident Caldwell-Pope can be an offensive option in the playoffs

LeBron James knows that he and Anthony Davis cannot do it alone for the Los Angeles Lakers.

They need help on both ends, and there are players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who can do just that.

However, Caldwell-Pope went scoreless in Game 2 of the Lakers’ win over the Phoenix Suns.

With Caldwell-Pope struggling to find his mark, the four-time NBA champion could care less.

Having seen what Caldwell-Pope can do, James is aware that the only way to get the 28-year-old back into the groove of things is if he keeps on attempting shots.

At one point in that game against the Suns, James was spotted giving Caldwell-Pope a mouthful. He wanted the eighth overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft to shoot more even if he put up a couple of bricked three-pointers.

It was nothing more than the 36-year-old trying to fire up Caldwell-Pope, aware that they need more firepower as the NBA playoffs progress.

Some may criticize the actions of James, but it was pretty clear he was giving Caldwell-Pope some tough love to rebuild his confidence.

Caldwell-Pope has been getting significant minutes, trying to contribute on both ends of the floor.

But being one of the reliable shooters the Lakers have to offer, James is trying to help Caldwell-Pope realize that he won’t be able to rediscover his shooting form unless he attempts shots.

Caldwell-Pope holds career field goal shooting averages of 47.7% and 35.5% from the three-point area.

For the current season, his percentage is not far from that, with 46% field goal shooting and 41% from beyond the arc.

He has attempted less from the field, but James wants the 6-foot-5 guard to hoist up more shots and help on the offensive end.

LeBron James Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers makes his home debut against the Houston Rockets as he talks with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #1 at Staples Center on October 20, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Caldwell-Pope was instrumental for the Lakers last season in the NBA Finals matchup with the Miami Heat.

The highlight of that was in Game 4 where he strung up five-straight points in the fourth quarter that helped the Lakers seal that game.

If the Lakers continue to romp and make it back to the finals once more, Caldwell-Pope needs to be ready. This early, James wants him to start rediscovering his touch on the basketball– regardless if he is shooting blanks.

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