Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Injury: Updates on Pistons Guard's Achilles and Return
Detroit Pistons guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left Wednesday night's game against the Indiana Pacers and did not return after suffering a right Achilles injury in the first quarter. He returned to the lineup Friday against the Nuggets.
Continue for updates.
Caldwell-Pope Returns vs. Nuggets
Friday, Feb. 6
Dave Pemberton of the Oakland Press reported Caldwell-Pope would start vs. the Nuggets.
Caldwell-Pope Injures Achilles
Wednesday, Feb. 4
The Pistons confirmed Caldwell-Pope injured his Achilles:
Caldwell-Pope played only three minutes before exiting, knocking down a three-pointer on his only shot. Jodie Meeks entered the game and will likely see a majority of the minutes at shooting guard with Caldwell-Pope out.
A first-round pick in 2013, Caldwell-Pope's NBA career has seen its share of ups and downs. A nondescript rookie season has become something slightly more promising in year two, but he remains wildly inconsistent. For the season, Caldwell-Pope is averaging 12.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game on 39.4 percent shooting, including a 34.9 percent clip from beyond the arc.
Unlike most of the Pistons, his production has neither dipped nor risen since the release of Josh Smith. Caldwell-Pope actually turned in his worst three-point shooting performance of the season in January. The Pistons have nonetheless been 5.3 points per 100 possessions better with Caldwell-Pope on the floor, seeing a particular rise in offensive production, per Basketball-Reference.com.
Meeks brings a generally similar skill set, so the starting unit should be fine. Detroit may see a more pronounced trickle-down effect if forced to expand Caron Butler's role with Caldwell-Pope out. Considering the Pistons already lost starting point guard Brandon Jennings to an Achilles rupture, expect them to express caution before bringing the former Georgia standout back.
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