Atkinson, Nets not shocked by Caris' progress
It was just over a year ago — December, 7, 2016 — when Nets guard Caris LeVert made his NBA debut in a win over the Nuggets.
That player, who logged nine minutes and went 0-for-3 from the field, is far different from the player who notched a team-high 16 points and eight assists in Tuesday night’s 103-98 victory over the Wizards.
The strides that LeVert — the No. 20 overall pick in 2016 and an important piece of Brooklyn’s rebuild — has made are notable, according to teammates and coach Kenny Atkinson. “He’s come a long way,” Atkinson said. “I think we had high expectations for him. We kind of knew right off the bat he was going to be pretty good. “I’m glad that the high expectations we had — it’s starting to show. It’s starting to come to light that he’s a pretty good player.”
“It’s kind of amazing to see,” Rondae Hollis-Jefferson said of LeVert’s growth. “How close I am with him, his progression, and seeing that whole transition.”
Hollis-Jefferson, a former Arizona Wildcat who matched up with LeVert in college, isn’t completely shocked by the progress, however. He could see the flashes back then.
“All the stuff that he’s doing now, I saw him do [at Michigan],” Hollis-Jefferson said. “Coming off screen-and-rolls, the herky-jerky, I was like, ‘Yo, he’s good!’ ”
The confidence LeVert showcased in those days is beginning to translate to the NBA, as he has come on strong after a sluggish start to the season. With Jeremy Lin and D’Angelo Russell sidelined, the 6-foot-7 wing has taken over some backup point-guard duties and is averaging 16.5 points and 7.3 assists on 52 percent shooting from the field and 42 percent from 3 over his last four outings (three of which were wins).
“He’s kind of commanding that second unit right now,” Atkinson said — a second unit that ranks second in the league in points per contest (44.7).
In his first 80 games, LeVert never recorded more than seven assists. He has achieved that feat in two of the past three games, displaying great confidence as a primary ballhandler. The 23-year-old has been put in far more pick-and-rolls (36 percent frequency) than in his rookie campaign (20 percent frequency), per NBA.com.
Nets general manager Sean Marks was apparently insistent from the beginning that LeVert could run the point effectively, relaying the message to Atkinson. LeVert said he played the position about “half ” the time in high school and at Michigan.
“I feel like I’m really comfortable playing both [the wing and the point],” LeVert said. “Coach is really trusting me with the basketball in my hands, and I’ve done a pretty good job at it.”
Sometimes LeVert, averaging 11.3 points and a teamhigh 1.3 steals, has to be reminded just how good he can be.
“He’s the sweetest, most docile, humble [person]. When you see his personal- ity, it’s not a big bravado,” said Atkinson, adding that he often implores LeVert to stop standing in the corner and go get the ball up top to orchestrate the offense. There are still several areas to improve. LeVert has gone through significant shooting slumps and has struggled with ball security (averaging 2.2 turnovers in 26 minutes). But the progress over the past year has undoubtedly pleased those within the organization.
“I’m getting more comfortable every game,” LeVert said. “There are ups and downs in basketball, we all know that. But I feel like I’m at a good place right now, for sure.”