Detroit Pistons: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s Injury ‘Not A Long Term Concern’
By Zach Libby
The possibility of losing second-year pro Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for the unseeable future sounds more like a nightmare for a rebuilding Detroit Pistons team.
But when that nightmare almost became a reality during Sunday’s exhibition game against the Washington Wizards, losing him for at least three preseason games doesn’t sounds that bad, compared to the amount of time Caldwell-Pope would have had to miss if he suffered a more serious injury.
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In the middle of the third quarter at the Verizon Center, the former Georgia Bulldog left the court after injuring his left knee and never returned. He finished the game with 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting.
Caldwell-Pope’s MRI on Monday showed that there was no structural damage to his knee, which means that there won’t be a concern for his long-term health.
Good news on KCP front: SVG says in text MRI clear. Muscle irritation and not a long term concern. No timetable for return. #Pistons
— VinceEllis (@AlabamaScribe56) October 13, 2014
According to both Dave Pemberton of the Oakland Press and Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, Caldwell-Pope will miss the next three preseason games as he won’t travel with the team when they take on the Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic on the road.
An MRI shows no structural damage to Kentavius Caldwell-Pope's knee, Pistons say. KCP will miss at least the next three preseason games.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) October 13, 2014
The latest setback to the 21-year old comes at a time where the shooting guard position is up for grabs before the regular season gets underway. Jodie Meeks, who missed Sunday’s game due to back spasms, is also in the running for the starting job with Caldwell-Pope.
Playing in 80 games, including 41 starts, Caldwell-Pope averaged 5.9 points and two rebounds per game on 39 percent shooting for the Pistons last season during his rookie year.
When asked if there was any worry about the health of Caldwell-Pope, Pistons center Andre Drummond expressed no concern, saying that he’ll be fine.
“He’s good,” Drummond said (via Detroit Free Press). “Just a little spasm that shut him down for the rest of game, but he’s going to be good.”