Atlanta Hawks Game Preview: Jan. 18 Detroit Pistons

Opposing Player To Watch: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

I could say the player to watch is Reggie Jackson. He’s Detroit’s best player. I could say Andre’ Drummond is the player to watch. He’s the face of the franchise. Instead, I’m fascinated by another player on the roster. That would be starting wing, and impending free agent, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

He has the makings of an ideal “three and D” wing. He looks the part and he’s just 23-years-old. There will be teams lining up to pay him next summer when he becomes a restricted free agent. Still, one question remains.

Is he actually good?

I’d say yes. He’s just streaky. Caldwell-Pope is averaging 14.5 points, 3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game on 42.6 percent shooting and 40.4 percent from three-point range. He may not have elite finishing ability at the rim, but he can shoot. Stan Van Gundy loves his shooters.

The Pistons are just 25th in the league in terms of three-point shooting efficiency, they make just 34.1 percent of their attempts, so Caldwell-Pope’s 40.4 percent on 5.5 attempts per game is huge for them. Somebody has to stretch the floor on this team. Caldwell-Pope has been that somebody more often than not.

It’s unclear whether or not Caldwell-Pope will play against the Hawks. He has a shoulder strain that has caused him to miss the last two games. Losing him for a significant stretch of games is devastating for the Pistons as they try to climb out of this deep hole.