The Orlando Magic have gotten a lot from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
In many ways, he has exceeded the team’s expectations after they acquired him in free agency. He has fit perfectly within the team’s defense and his leadership was exactly what this young team needed. Caldwell-Pope has been a perfect addition to the team.
Except for the one thing Magic fans hoped he would help resolve – his shooting. Caldwell-Pope is shooting a career-worst 30.1 percent from three entering Monday’s game against the New York Knicks.
This is not the Caldwell-Pope the Magic were promised as their shooting woes deepened. And nearly halfway through the season, his stats are not likely to improve dramatically. Players are kind of what they are around the 40-game mark and teams are trying to make the most of it.
Of course, the Magic know Caldwell-Pope can be better. They have seen it time and time again during his championship runs.
They saw it again Monday night as Caldwell-Pope hit two big three-pointers to keep the New York Knicks at a healthy distance. Caldwell-Pope scored 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting, making 3 of 6 from three.
Without that effort, the Magic would not score a 103-94 upset victory over the Knicks under the most unlikely circumstances. It was also a sign of hope for what Caldwell-Pope can still give offensively. It is another hint that the veteran can still have a strong back half of the season.
He is not the only one who needs a strong finishing kick in the final 40-plus games. Despite the Magic surviving their injuries and sitting in fourth in the East, they have a lot of players who have not lived up to expectations.
But as they have all season, players are stepping up and filling in when their number is called.
“I can’t say it enough: It is who we are,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “The next-man-up mentality, the by-committee mentality, the not making excuses for anything or any situation is what this group is all about. I’m so proud of this group for continuing to battle and continuing to fight. Different guys stepping up, different guys stepping in. Guys just stepped up, that’s what this group is all about.”
Cole Anthony fell out of the rotation. Wendell Carter lost his shot. Caldwell-Pope has struggled with his shot. Jonathan Isaac has looked a step slow. The Magic have had to work around not getting what they hoped from these key players.
There is still more than half of a season to right the ship. And like Caldwell-Pope all four of those players were key to beating the Knicks – just as they will be key to win in the Playoffs.
Carter especially has started to show signs of life. He scored 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting and 3-for-3 shooting from three. He is averaging 13.6 points per game on 55.8 percent shooting with 6.2 rebounds per game in his last five games. That is closer to the production the Magic expected from Carter.
“We call him the humble beast,” Cole Anthony said. “We’ve been telling him when Dell is aggressive he’s an animal. Today he was aggressive, got after it and really helped us win this game.”
Carter has struggled to unlock that aggression this year. He needed the comfort of knowing his role and the confidence to attack. He is starting to find it again.
And most importantly, it was critical to win the game at Madison Square Garden on Monday. They are all vital to the team’s success. And there is plenty of time left for them to still make a lot out of this season and make more wins like this one.
