Thankful Nets amazed Caris is mostly OK
The Nets’ reaction when they first saw Caris LeVert’s gruesome leg injury was Xrated. But when they got a final diagnosis — no surgery needed, a return this season expected — it was a collective exhale.
“Not sure you can print [my reaction] or put it into words,” general manager Sean Marks said before the Nets faced Miami on Wednesday. “It was emotional for sure, for all of us. Whenever you see a young man [like] Caris go down like that, it’s heartwrenching, for Caris and all the work he’s put in. … The emotions were definitely a roller coaster for everybody. But we’re obviously happy for the outcome.
“I’m obviously definitely no doctor, but from the optics standpoints when you see something like that that’s pretty gruesome, you’re fearing the worst, unfortunately. And then when you get the results, look, he’s going to bounce back. That’s terrific.”
As is his way, Marks declined to give a timeline for LeVert’s recovery from a subtalar dislocation of the right foot. But after seeing LeVert on Tuesday, team orthopedist Martin O’Malley said in a statement the guard should “return to full strength and resume all basketball activities without any limitations this season.” Another expert told The Post he expected LeVert back in eight to 12 weeks.
Even the tail end of that — say, the AllStar break — would be a relief.
“Oh yeah, definite relief. The way it looked, and with the previous injury to Gordon Hayward, kind of had a lot of similarities to it. … You hate to see that happen to somebody like that. But it is a relief, that possibility of getting him back this year. That’s a big win for us,” said Allen Crabbe.
“He’s definitely in good spirits. For your season not to end after an injury like that, yeah, I’m pretty sure he’s definitely happy. I’m sure he was really concerned and freaked out when he saw his foot at the time. You can only think the worst. But when you get that type of news — no fractures or [anything] — that’s a blessing.”
To a man, the Nets said LeVert was positive and in good spirits. Coach Kenny Atkinson said the 24-year-old was in the team room “eating a cheeseburger” and evenkeeled — which will help in yet another arduous rehab.
“When they put his ankle back in place and he flew on the plane, everyone knew that was a good sign. Then when it came out [Tuesday] he wasn’t having surgery, that was a great sign,” Ed Davis said. “Usually when a guy goes off on a stretcher, two hours later he’s not getting on the plane. … His mind was clear and he wasn’t panicking; it was good energy. You could feel we were going to get good news. I didn’t think ‘no surgery,’ but he had God on his side. Good comes to good, man.
“There’s not a lot of people that you’re going to find in life in general that are good people all the way around. ... When something happens to a guy like that, it just hits you different.”