“`html
Quick Bytes
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope reflects on the Lakers’ potential against the Clippers in 2020.
- Lakers’ dominant performance in the bubble hinted at a possible sweep over the Clippers.
- Nuggets upset the Clippers in the playoffs, preventing an anticipated L.A. showdown.
- Caldwell-Pope believes the Lakers should have beaten the Nuggets in the 2024 playoffs.
Lakers’ Caldwell-Pope Talks Past and Present Playoff Scenarios
The 2019-20 NBA season faced unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the creation of the Orlando bubble for the playoffs. The Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, were a force to be reckoned with, swiftly handling the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets.
While the Lakers awaited their Western Conference Finals opponent, the L.A. Clippers, who were favored to face them, suffered a shocking defeat to the Denver Nuggets. Former Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, speaking on The Draymond Green Show, expressed his belief that the Lakers would have swept the Clippers had they met in the conference finals.
The Lakers’ dominance was evident as they overcame every opponent in their path to the championship. The potential matchup with the Clippers was highly anticipated due to the addition of stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to the Clippers’ roster, which paralleled Davis’s arrival in Los Angeles. Despite the Lakers’ victories over the Clippers in the season and the bubble, the anticipated playoff clash never materialized.
Reflecting on a more recent playoff series in 2024, Caldwell-Pope mentioned that the Lakers faced the Nuggets again but were defeated in five games despite leading for most of the series. He revealed that even the Nuggets felt the Lakers should have won, highlighting the competitive nature of the matchups.
For fans interested in more insights and interviews, Caldwell-Pope’s comments and related Lakers content are available on the team’s official YouTube channel.
Source link
“`
