Kentavious

Caldwell-Pope

After one season with the Magic, Caldwell-Pope is on the move. He’s been traded to the Grizzlies, but the veteran guard will likely be a starter in his new home. Caldwell-Pope was signed by the Magic last summer for his 3-and-D abilities, but he struggled with his shot. In 77 appearances, he shot 34.2 percent from three on 4.3 attempts per game. The percentage was Caldwell-Pope’s worst since 2015-16, when he shot 30.9 percent from three as a member of the Pistons. Playing alongside Ja Morant could result in cleaner looks for KCP if he’s inserted into the starting lineup, as Orlando lacked a consistent playmaker at the point. From a fantasy standpoint, he’ll be a late-round pick at best in standard leagues.

Caldwell-Pope had a brutal series, scoring no more than eight points in any of the five games. The veteran wing shot 6-of-23 from beyond the arc, which isn’t good enough for a team that lacked consistent scorers beyond Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Signed last summer with the hope that he could be a veteran voice who could also provide 3-and-D value, Caldwell-Pope underwhelmed in his first season with the Magic. He finished the regular season ranked outside the top-150 in eight- and nine-cat formats in category leagues, but KCP was close to a top-100 option in points leagues. At best, he’ll be worthy of late-round consideration in 12-team leagues next fall.

Give Carter credit for his work on the boards and for being Kristaps Porzingis’ primary defender for most of Game 1. However, the offensive production was lackluster, a trend that also persisted during the regular season. Carter’s average of 9.1 per game was the lowest of his NBA career; this was the first season in which he failed to average double figures. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner will do most of the heavy lifting offensively, but they’re going to need help in this series. Fellow starters Carter, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (6/4/2/3 with two three-pointers) and Cory Joseph (zero points, two assists) combining to score 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting isn’t good enough. Game 2 is on Wednesday night.

On a night when starting guards Cory Joseph (5/5/2 with one three-pointer) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (nine points, two assists, one block and one three-pointer) combined to shoot 4-of-14 from the field, the Magic received vital contributions from both “Anthonys.” Cole shot well over 50 percent from the field in scoring his 26 points. His highlights included a 4-of-6 fourth quarter in which he made three three-pointers. Anthony Black also had a big night off the bench, but Cole is the more capable scorer. He’ll need to play to this level consistently if the Magic are to have a chance of upsetting Boston in the first round. Game 1 will be on Sunday.

The only starter that will be the same as Friday is da Silva. KCP and WCJ sat on Friday but will surprisingly suit up in the inconsequential season finale. With a Play-In matchup with the Hawks coming in just a couple days, it’s unclear how much KCP and WCJ will play. Black will replace the injured Cory Joseph in the starting lineup, with Isaac getting his first start of the season. Gary Harris, Caleb Houstan and Goga Bitadze will come off the bench after starting on Friday, though Houstan and Bitadze should still play significant roles.

WCJ and KCP will return from one-game absences against Atlanta. Gary Harris and Goga Bitadze will likely be relegated to bench roles on Sunday.

Both WCJ and KCP sat out against Indiana on Friday, and it would be surprising if they played on Sunday since Orlando has already clinched the seventh seed in the East. Gary Harris and Goga Bitadze should start once again, with Jett Howard playing a significant role off the bench.

While Joseph is dealing with a sore left knee that led to his addition to the injury report, Caldwell-Pope exited Wednesday’s win over the Celtics with a strained left knee. KCP was replaced in the lineup by Caleb Houstan, who would likely start if the veteran is unavailable on Friday. Joseph’s absence would mean a point guard rotation of Cole Anthony and Anthony Black. With the Magic locked into the seven-seed in the East, the last two games of the regular season have minimal meaning for them.

Caldwell-Pope was limited to seven minutes during the first half of Wednesday’s game and will not return due to a sore left knee. Due to KCP’s absence, Caleb Houstan and Anthony Black will play more minutes, with the former logging 15 first-half minutes and the latter 16. Houstan replaced Caldwell-Pope in the lineup to begin the third quarter.

Following four consecutive games with less than 10 points, KCP has scored in double figures in four straight games. During this four-game stretch, he has averaged 15.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 3.5 triples while shooting a ridiculous 74.1 percent from the floor. Of course, that level of shooting isn’t sustainable, but KCP is getting hot at the right time with the postseason approaching.