Update:
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope received a CT scan after getting elbowed in the nose in practice. Fortunately, the results came back in his favor as the shooting guard did not suffer any broken bones. KCP will miss the first two games of the season due to a suspension for a DUI case from last season.
Original Story Follows:
One of the biggest moves of the offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers was signing shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The 25-year-old was given a one-year deal and is expected to bring a level of perimeter defense that the team has been lacking in recent years.
This week, however, KCP may have suffered a setback in his debut with the Lakers. The team announced that he would be receiving an MRI after taking an elbow to the face that may have broken his nose.
Caldwell-Pope is already suspended for the first two games of the season after a DUI arrest late last year. The Lakers are also dealing with injuries to Julius Randle and Josh Hart.
The injury could push back KCP’s debut date even further. However, it’s possible that the guard plays in the third game of the season despite the injury as the team could fit him with a mask. Nevertheless, it’s still unclear whether or not KCP has actually broken his nose and what the recovery time would be for the injury. According to reporters at practice today, KCP continued to scrimmage with the team before going to get the injury checked.
For now, the Lakers will make sure he receives treatment and gets a proper diagnosis before deciding on his fate for the early portions of the year. KCP is expected to start in the backcourt next to rookie Lonzo Ball.
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