Mike Malone is a fine psychologist. Saturday evening, when his post-match speechhe congratulated Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for his altruism and attitude in the 4th quarter, when Bruce Brown stole his place on the field. A way to keep him under pressure, and to put the “we” before the “I. “KCP” thanked him tonight by being Game 2’s X Factor with his four 3-pointers. That’s more than all his teammates combined!
“KCP does everything for us” says Brown precisely. “He and I have the same role in a way. He’s the only champion here, and I’m learning as much as I can from him.”
It is true that Caldwell-Pope is an NBA champion, and that he had been very valuable for the Lakers in the “bubble” by his defense and his 3-pointers. A real “3-and-D”, and that’s why the Nuggets went to get him this summer on the Washington side. They had left Will Barton and Monte Morris for him. Two players that Malone does not forget since he paid tribute to them after the victory against the Suns.
The only champion of the group
“Getting Kentavious Caldwell-Pope back was a huge boost. This is not an attack on Will Barton and Monte Morris. These guys have been really important to our past successes, but we felt that KCP, who had won a title and are one of the best two-way players in the league, would fit perfectly into this five. .
“For most players, it’s a good night,” continues Malone about Game 1 of his fullback. “He keeps himself at such a high level. He’s 5 of 6 in shooting, 4 of 4 in 3-pointers… He’s got 5 rebounds and he’s an incredible defense… I’m so grateful that he’s part of our group, our family. He deserves to be highlighted tonight”.
What Malone may not have imagined is that his fullback would be able to turn the tide of a playoff game with two straight 3-point successes, but also that he would be a voice in the locker room. . “He’s very present in downtime, whether we win or lose, and he makes sure that everyone keeps their feet on the ground”, testifies Jamal Murray. “He knows what to do and what mental strength you need to have. Having a “two-way player” on the pitch, capable of doing everything for us, is huge. »
“The defense will win us this series, then a title”
Exactly what does he pass on to his teammates in the locker room or during time-outs?
“I would say that we know the efforts that must be made to get there” responds KCP. “Every night can be anyone’s night. Jamal is missing his game, but everyone is raising their game, and that’s why I like this team. Our bench is rich, and everyone knows how to play, can score and can defend. I had told the team before this series, that the defense would win us this series, then a title. »
A message that his teammates have integrated, since they lead 2-0 in the series, and after winning by 18 points in Game 1, they limited the Suns to 87 points!
