The Orlando Magic got one of the most celebrated acquisitions this summer in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. His three-year, $66-million deal seemed like an overpay, but the Magic were getting one of the best 3-and-D players in the league. They were getting someone with championship experience to boost a young team.
It seemed like a perfect match. Caldwell-Pope would add to the team’s elite defense and give them the spacing.
Through nine games, part of that plan has worked perfectly. Caldwell-Pope has delivered defensively. But the shooting has been noticeably absent.
Caldwell-Pope has started the season shooting 24.4 percent from three on 4.6 attempts per game. He is not even shooting a league replacement level. The Magic need that to turn around, to say the least. The team’s rock-bottom shooting is at least partly a product by this unusual downturn in shooting.
Orlando has to hope Wednesday is a sign of Caldwell-Pope rounding the corner.
Caldwell-Pope scored a season-high 13 points, making 5 of 10 shots and two of his five 3-point shots. Those threes came during the team’s big second-quarter run. But the confidence was clear. The Magic started to run him as the screener in pick and rolls more trying to take advantage of their size and ball-handling.
Pulling out the corn rows seemed to work for Caldwell-Pope. The question will be whether he can do it consistently and whether this is truly him turning a corner.
Of course, it is worth noting this is not the only time Caldwell-Pope has gone through a poor shooting stretch. Last January, Caldwell-Pope went 25.6 percent during an eight-game stretch. The Magic have played nine games and Caldwell-Pope has struggled.
Could he be due to turn things around?
It is hard to imagine Caldwell-Pope, a career 36.7 percent shooter who has shot 40 percent or better from three in three of the last four years (and shot 39.0 percent in the other) will shoot this poorly the rest of the season.
Still, the Magic are waiting for Caldwell-Pope to turn things around. They have the second-worst offensive rating in the league and the worst 3-point field goal percentage as a team at 30.3 percent. Caldwell-Pope’s struggles are a big part of that.
Orlando needs Caldwell-Pope to turn things around. It is not a matter of how much they signed him for, he is that important to the team and their offensive attack.
The whole team has been in a bad spot offensively. Everyone is missing shots. And the Magic have been getting their share of open shots. Like with Caldwell-Pope, it is hard to imagine the whole team will keep missing. A return home to the Kia Center should help matters too.
But the Magic will need Caldwell-Pope to hit shots. His spacing is starting to wear off. He needs to make shots just to get defenses to loosen up and stick with him.
Making shots remains the biggest impediment for the team during this five-game losing streak. Even if the Magic are getting good looks.
Turning things around starts with the team’s best shooters. Shooters like Caldwell-Pope.
Perhaps Wednesday was a sign they turned things around.
