Philadelphia 76ers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope says the team's success this season depends on how well its diverse personalities mesh. "Our chemistry is gonna be the biggest part for us," Caldwell-Pope said Monday in Camden, N.J. "Us liking each other, being able to be around each other and have fun on and off the court."
After agreeing to a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies in July, Caldwell-Pope signed a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Sixers. The 33-year-old has perhaps the best perspective on meshing personalities on a new team aiming for championship contention, especially one featuring LeBron James. He has won two championships, one with the James-led Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and another with the Denver Nuggets in 2023.
The veteran said the bonding process has already begun with dinners that will ramp up as the season goes on. "We have so much talent from one through 12, or 15, however many guys we've got, and it's talent everywhere," he said. "So, I think our biggest thing is just communicating with each other, learning each other's tendencies, and just trying to implement that on and off the court."
Caldwell-Pope is entering his 14th season in the NBA and has established himself as one of the league's best 3-and-D players. However, he is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. He underwent surgery in February to address a misalignment of his right pinkie finger and missed the last 31 games. Before the injury, he averaged 8.4 points, 2.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds over 21.3 minutes in 51 games for Memphis. His 31.6% from 3-point range last year was the second lowest of his career.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing