Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is entering his third season in the NBA after showing some nice improvement from year one to year two with the Detroit Pistons. Caldwell-Pope started all 82 games a season ago and was considered to be a lock to start at shooting guard again this season in most circles. However, while Caldwell-Pope is still the likely starter, he is not a lock for the role, according to Keith Langlois of NBA.com.
Langlois says that coach Stan Van Gundy will likely go into the season with an open mind as far as the starting lineup and that Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond are the only guys that are sure to start. The main competitor to take Caldwell-Pope's spot at shooting guard would be Jodie Meeks, who played in 60 games for the Pistons a season ago but started zero. Meeks is coming off a bit of a down year but has always been able to knock down the triple.
Caldwell-Pope was the Pistons' first round pick in 2013 (eighth overall) out of Georgia and is still just 22 years old. Last season he increased his scoring average from 5.9 points per game to 12.7 and he increased his three point percentage from 32 to 35 percent. Caldwell-Pope is a young player on the rise and is much better on the defensive end than Meeks which gives him a clear edge for the starting role. Shooting guard is a position where defense is essential and the 6-foot-5 shooting guard happens to be solid on that side of the ball while also improving his offensive game.
The only thing that could possibly go against Caldwell-Pope starting would be the combination with the other starting wing player. Stanley Johnson and Marcus Morris are the two best options for the Pistons to start at small forward, and if they decide to go with Johnson they would have two wings that aren't great three-point shooters.
Nowadays, long-range shooting is at a premium, and if Caldwell-Pope doesn't improve his shooting even more it may be necessary for Meeks to start alongside Johnson. The Pistons could start Morris and bring their 2015 first round pick off the bench as another option, or they could decide they don't need marksmen in the starting lineup and focus on defense.
Caldwell-Pope is still the major favorite to start at shooting guard, but there are some interesting points to be raised about it. Caldwell-Pope could make this a moot point if he comes out and improves his three-point shooting percentage as much as he did last season.
