Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was a solid get for the Lakers this offseason, but the team’s general manager has some huge expectations for their new star.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signed to the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year, $18 million deal last week, and has been heralded as one of the better signings in the busy NBA offseason this summer.
However, no matter how solid fans think the acquisition is, nothing will compare to what Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka had to say about Caldwell-Pope at the introductory press conference for KCP on Tuesday.
In the press conference, Pelinka compared Caldwell-Pope to “bread coming down from heaven”, referencing the book of Genesis in the process.
KCP: "It's a blessing to be here. ... I feel like I bring a lot to the table, play both sides of the ball."https://t.co/v6QYFU986n
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 18, 2017
As if those heavenly words weren’t enough praise for his newest player, Pelinka took it even a step further. In a bold move that likely won’t see a payoff that Pelinka expects, the general manager compared Caldwell-Pope to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and Lakers president Magic Johnson.
“He has a mentality that is consistent with what Magic brought to the table, what Kobe Bryant brought to the table,” Pelinka said. “KCP is about winning and playing the game the right way.”
This isn’t the first time a general manager has compared a player to bread falling from heaven, as the same words were used to describe Darko Milicic from Minnesota Timberwolves general manager David Kahn.
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Now, who knows if Caldwell-Pope will even last more than a year in Los Angeles, with the team interested in bringing in LeBron James and Paul George next year to build a super-team of their own.
However, if he wants a big deal from the Lakers after this season, it looks like he may have to compare to some of the greatest players in NBA history to even come close to what Pelinka is expecting from him. No pressure, KCP.