Careless LeVert
Atkinson turns blown play into teaching moment for the Nets
The moment both in the game and the season made it imperative for Kenny Atkinson to drive a message home to Caris LeVert and the rest of the Nets.
LeVert, usually known for his hustle and focus, completely missed a box out on the 76ers’ T.J. McConnell with 4:07 left in the Nets’ 120-97 blowout loss Sunday night. Right in front of the Nets’ bench, McConnell slipped by him for a tip-in. The play prompted Atkinson to call time and chew into LeVert a bit.
“The message was like, ‘It doesn’t matter guys if we are down 30 or up 30, we still have to lock into what we do,’ ” the Nets’ coach said after practice Monday. “[LeVert] just caught it. It was bad timing. Now, he’s maybe one of our hardest-playing dudes.”
Atkinson added that in one sense it was a little unfair because of LeVert’s his- tory of consistently making effort plays like that and called the moment an outlier more than anything. Still, he didn’t hesitate to deliver a lesson because he felt like he needed to get it across to the team that it wasn’t acceptable — especially as the Nets (21-46) play out the final 15 games of the season. Things don’t get easier with the East-leading Raptors, winners of eight straight, coming to Barclays Center on Tuesday night.
“The easy thing would be to let something like that go,” Atkinson said. “He wasn’t the only one. Quincy [Acy] and I got on in the huddle for something else. Of course they didn’t like it, but I think that’s a big part of my job.”
LeVert said being reprimanded was a little shocking at first, but he deserved it and appreciates when Atkinson takes moments like that to push him. He knows the coach is going to be tough on him.
“I wasn’t playing hard,” LeVert said. “I missed a box out, so it was very deserving.”
Atkinson said LeVert, who had 10 points, five assists and two rebounds, responded by being more attentive and flying around the court, almost to say, “I’ll show you coach.”
“That definitely did light a fire,” LeVert said.
Moments like that are important, especially when Atkinson expects a similarly physical game when the Nets face DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas and a Toronto team not afraid to post-up.
➤ Jahlil Okafor played for the first time in a month Sunday night, tallying four points and one rebound in 5:48. He had an impact defending 76ers center Joel Embiid in the first half, but struggled later in the game.
“I thought he was good in the minutes that he played,” Atkinson said. “Those things give your more trust and more of a willingness to play him. ... He just has to keep proving himself.”