LOS ANGELES – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope needed exactly 25 seconds against the New Orleans Pelicans to demonstrate why the Lakers signed him to an $18 million contract last summer.

In his regular season debut in L.A., Caldwell-Pope hit a 3-pointer as he was pushed out of bounds by Jrue Holiday with 1:26 left in the second quarter.

After converting the four-point play, he intercepted a pass from DeMarcus Cousins – his second steal of the first half – then pushed the ball up the floor, halting abruptly to hit his second straight 3.

Before the game, Lakers coach Luke Walton called Caldwell-Pope “one of our better shooters” and “a great defender.” Both are traits the Lakers have lacked in recent years.

A suspension stemming from an offseason drunken driving charge kept him out of the first two games, leaving Luke Walton to experiment with Luol Deng and Corey Brewer in the starting lineup next to Lonzo Ball.

Caldwell-Pope, a prototypical “3-and-D” wing, fits the Lakers stated philosophy of playing fast, forcing turnovers and shooting 3s. Coach Luke Walton said the former lottery pick of the Detroit Pistons has adjusted easily to his new environs.

“He’s been great,” Walton said. “He’s obviously new to the team but he’s really kind of bonded well with our guys. It hurt to lose him for those first two games. He really kind of started to get his legs under him and play the way we wanted him to play.”

ZO FAR, ZO GOOD

Alvin Gentry coached Steve Nash and was the top assistant on teams led by Chris Paul and Stephen Curry. It’s safe to assume he knows what makes a great point guard.

And he thinks Lonzo Ball has it.

“I don’t see how he could possibly fail,” Gentry said. “I really don’t. “

The New Orleans Pelicans coach is far from alone in his belief that the Lakers struck gold when they drafted Ball, but no opposing coach has been as effusive in his praise as Gentry .

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Photos: Lakers hold off Nuggets in Game 2 of Western Conference Finals “I think he’s going to be a great player,” Gentry said before his team faced the Lakers on Sunday at Staples Center. “I like the kid. I think he’s got an old soul and is mature beyond his age and years.”

He went on to call Ball, the second overall pick in June’s draft, “the type of guy anyone would love playing with” and “a coach’s dream.”

“The way he plays is nothing really bothers him,” Gentry said. “He plays for his teammates more so than himself. He never gets upset. I’ve never seen the kid upset. Never seen him upset, never seen him celebrate or do any of these things. He’s a coach’s dream I think.”

He’s describing the same traits that led Lakers coach Luke Walton to draw a comparison to Kobe Bryant on Friday in Phoenix, where Ball finished one assist shy of a triple-double.

“I thought Lonzo was great as far as being aggressive (against the Suns),” Walton said Sunday. “We want him to be in attack mode all the time. I thought he did a great job of that.”

DISAPPEARING DENG

The 13 minutes Deng played as a substitute starter on opening night may have been the last Lakers fans will see of the veteran forward. Deng was back on the inactive list Sunday for the second straight game, and Walton indicated that will be the norm.

“As of now he’s not in the rotation as far as consistently penciled in without something happening,” Walton said.

On Thursday against the Clippers, the “something happening” was the suspension of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Walton started Deng at small forward to keep his second unit intact, but by the next night had replaced him with Brewer.

It’s not much of a surprise that Deng will have a limited role. The Lakers have gotten younger and playing Deng would require taking minutes from Brandon Ingram, Larry Nance Jr., Julius Randle and Kyle Kuzma. However, Deng is just a year removed from signing a $72 million contract that will keep him with the Lakers through 2020, making his situation all the more awkward.

“We’ve talked,” Walton said. “It’s 82 games. There’s a lot that’s going to change, but for right now we’ve asked him to stay sharp, to keep working to stay ready for when he gets called on and continue mentoring our young players.”