Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: NBA Draft Profile

Mar 14, 2013; Nashville, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (1) is defended by LSU Tigers guard Andre Stringer (10) during the second round of the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

School: Georgia

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 204 lbs

Wingspan: 6’8″

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is viewed by most as a lottery pick. Over the past couple of months he has climbed his way up the draft from a late first-round pick to a potential top ten overall selection in Thursday’s NBA Draft.

Georgia’s sophomore shooting guard averaged 18.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2 steals per contest in 2012-2013.

This is his Draft Profile.

Strengths:

Caldwell-Pope has the potential to be an above-average slasher at the next level. With great size and athleticism for the shooting guard position, he is next to impossible to stop in transition. According to Synergy Sports, he scored 1.15 points per possession in transition as a sophomore.

What intrigues scouts most is the former Bulldog’s scoring instincts on the wing. He is a great shooter in most situations, particularly off screens. Caldwell-Pope consistently made defenses pay for going under ball screens this past season, pulling up before the shot could be truly contested.

Still, he is very effective in spot up situations and off the bounce. Caldwell-Pope showed promise with his ability to get his own shot off the dribble in time at Georgia. Perhaps most impressively, his shooting numbers increased drastically from his freshman year to his sophomore year.

• Freshman: 30.4 3PT%, 65.4 FT%, 50.0 TS% (True Shooting%)
• Sophomore: 37.7 3PT%, 79.7 FT%, 59.0 TS%

Defensively, Caldwell-Pope has shown the potential to be a solid one-one-one isolation defender. His size and athleticism contribute to his ability to stay in front of his opponent off the dribble. Anticipation in the passing lanes and quick hands also lead to his impressive average of 2 steals per game in 2012-2013.

For his position and size, his defensive rebounding ability is also very impressive. Caldwell-Pope averaged 7.1 rebounds per game his sophomore season. Although he lacks the aggressiveness and tenacity to hit the offensive glass on a consistent basis, his size and athleticism that allow him to be so good in so many areas, also allow him to dominate his opponent on the defensive boards.

Weaknesses:

While there aren’t usually many with a potential top ten draft choice, every player has their flaws. The same thing goes for Caldwell-Pope.

Most importantly, he needs to make an effort to improve his shot selection. Despite being a great jump shooter, the disparity between the amount of jumpers he takes compared to how often he attacks the rim is too drastic. 73.7% of Caldwell-Pope’s shots during his sophomore season were jump shots. A measly 19% of them were at the rim.

His ball handling is very loose for a guard. For the most part, he is unable to get to the rim off the bounce due to his lack of a handle. Typically, the only time he can blow by his opponent is on straight line drives on the wing. Until he improves his handle, Caldwell-Pope will struggle to become a consistent scorer in isolation situations.

Potential Role With Sixers:

Caldwell-Pope may not be on the board when the Sixers are on the clock come the eleventh pick in the upcoming draft. If he is though, Sam Hinkie and company will have to think long and hard about making him their first-round selection.

Everyone knows that the Sixers struggle to score on a consistent basis. Ever since the Allen Iverson era, the organization has been unable to land an elite go-to scorer. They thought that they may have changed their luck when the made the trade for Andrew Bynum last August, but we know how well that worked this season.

The Georgia product would ultimately provide some scoring punch that this team desperately needs. With Nick Young and Dorell Wright both becoming unrestricted free agents as of July 1, it remains unclear which direction the Sixers plan to go with either player. Caldwell-Pope will provide some shooting to balance the floor if nothing else, which will be much needed if Young and/or Wright are gone next season.

Jason Richardson failed to play after his season-ending knee surgery this past season. Caldwell-Pope could ultimately fill his spot when needed, and eventually replace him when his contract expires next summer.