What we learned about Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at Orlando Magic Media Day

When the Magic entered the offseason fresh off a playoff run and with obvious needs as well as cap space to address them, many fans were waiting for a big move. Former All-Stars Paul George and Klay Thompson were connected to the team in free agency. Rather than going after such a big name, the Magic decided to sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to bolster the team’s defense and improve the spacing on offense. 

The expectations for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are clear: play excellent defense, add a respected 3-point shooter to the mix, and provide veteran experience and leadership. That is pretty much what he has done in recent years, and it has helped him win two championships—one with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Denver Nuggets. 

And yet, his role with the Magic might be slightly different. He will still be a role player, but Orlando will likely need him to take more shots than he did with the Nuggets and make more plays for his teammates. His veteran presence will also be more important. Both the Nuggets and the Lakers had other veteran voices with plenty of experience. The Magic only have him and Cory Joseph, who have played and won at the highest level in the NBA. 

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope seems ready to step into his new role

At Media Day, Caldwell-Pope seemed confident in his ability to help the Magic. He said he was excited to bring defense, a championship mentality, and leadership to the team while helping prepare his young teammates for the next level. He seems ready to embrace his new role as the team’s resident veteran, even if he does not like his new nickname. 

Especially the backcourt pairing with Jalen Suggs seems to excite Caldwell-Pope, who is hoping to see both their names on an All-Defensive team. They could easily be one of the best defensive backcourts in the league, competing with the likes of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, who just helped the Boston Celtics to an NBA championship. 

Caldwell-Pope doesn’t just view himself as a teacher for his younger Magic teammates, though. Despite being one of the oldest players on the team with plenty of NBA experience, he still expects to learn from his teammates, particularly Jalen Suggs. 

So, Media Day showed that Caldwell-Pope appears to be everything the Magic were hoping to get when they signed him. He is ready for his new role on his new team, but that is not the extent of it. Joining a new team often means adapting your game and you never stop growing as a player even if you have already learned how to play your role well. Caldwell-Pope looks ready to adapt to the Magic’s style of play and learn and teach at the same time.