Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Refers To 2023 WCF Sweep Vs Lakers As ‘Butt Whoopin’

KCP leads the statement with all due respect, referring to the Lakers as his "brothers still," despite having been dealt from the team in 2021. 

Regarding KCP's actual comments about the sweep being a "butt whoopin," that's another story. 

The Nuggets defeated the Lakers by a total margin of 24 points across the 4 games, implying a 6-point average margin of victory in each contest. 

That ranks as one of the narrowest sweeps of all time, which, while it doesn't take away from the fact that it was a sweep, it does tell a story about the series. 

The two teams duked it out in every contest, with the largest margin being an 11-point Game 3 affair. Even then, however, the Lakers trailed by 2 going into the 4th quarter, where the Nuggets proceeded to run away with the game. 

Again, the overall point margin for a series doesn't dictate how close games are. In fact, it's the opposite, as point differentials can have the propensity to tell incorrect stories about how games went down. 

To that end, KCP's comments about it being a "butt whoopin'" definitely have some validity, as one way or another, the Lakers were swept. The Nuggets came out stronger in nearly every game and closed out stronger in all 4 games. Basketball is a game of making timely, significant plays on a consistent basis, and the Nuggets did exactly that. They certainly accomplished that better than the Lakers did. 

So, while the Nuggets didn't run the Lakers out of the arena nightly as you'll see in some sweeps, they did ultimately win four games in a row. This includes two at the Crypto.com arena. They deserve some props for that, and KCP's comment is generally valid. 

Let's hope the Lakers use this comment as motivation on opening night.

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