Barring disaster, Riders will return to the playoffs for the first time in five years in a month (Finals lost against the Warriors) and they will especially play the playoffs without LeBron James in their workforce for the first time since… 1998!
In the group of Cleveland, some were not even born in 1998 and others were not even present in the NBA in 2018. The experience is not necessarily optimal for everyone, but some “veterans” will have the mission of supervising the youngest. To start with Caris LeVert.
Willing to sacrifice to help the team
Arrived in the league in 2016, the 28-year-old rear has already been able to taste the playoffs twice. It was in 2019 and then in 2020 with the Nets. Three years later, he is therefore about to return and he is preparing for it.
” I feel pretty sharp, in terms of my dribbling, my shooting, my physical condition », he said last week. ” I sort of put myself in playoff mode, mentally. My teammates also make it extremely easy for me every game, especially when I find my rhythm, by calling me a system and telling me to be aggressive. So it will be important for me to continue this momentum in these last 11-12 games, in view of the playoffs. »
For five games, we can also say that Caris LeVert is gaining momentum, with his 18.4 points, 4.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals on average, at 54% in shooting (including 52% at 3-pointers) and 77% to throws. Despite a role that constantly evolves over the absences of Darius Garland or Donovan Mitchell, because he finds himself sometimes replacing and sometimes titular, with responsibilities which obviously differ.
” He is one of those who sometimes go unnoticed “, estimated first JB Bickerstaff. ” But he was willing to take on a different role for this team, a different role from the one he was being asked to take on. He’s someone who just wants to help this team win. He can defend on several positions, capture rebounds, take up challenges. He’s selfless, all he wants is to help us win and he’ll do whatever he can to make it happen. »
And Darius Garland to support the words of his coach: We know he can start in any team, but he’s accepted a role he’s starting to adapt to and he’s excelling at it. We love what we see of him, that’s for sure. »
A quality Swiss army knife
Able to reach an average of 20 points in Brooklyn and then Indiana, Caris LeVert has only turned “only” 12.3 points (with 4.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds) on average since he was in Ohio. More likely to play complementary players, he also shows himself in defense, as he had recently announced.
” He does a bit of everything added JB Bickerstaff. ” His defense has been superb, and offensively he’s not just shooting well, because he creates play and he creates for others. He’s one of our oldest players, but that doesn’t mean he can’t keep improving and I think, what we’ve seen is a really, really well-rounded version. of Carls. It is also progressing day by day. »
As the season progresses, Caris LeVert does seem to be finding more and more of her place in the Cavaliers’ roster and rotation. Progress that bodes well for the future, especially in the event of a long playoff campaign…
” He raised his level of play “, thus judged Donovan Mitchell. ” His role is a bit clearer and more coherent now, which is easier to find the rhythm, as you can see. […] He works, he’s in the gym every day, working on his game and he converts the shots he works on, he keeps finding his shooting positions. We all trust him. »
| Caris LeVert | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2016-17 | BRK | 57 | 22 | 45.0 | 32.1 | 72.0 | 0.4 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 8.2 |
| 2017-18 | BRK | 71 | 26 | 43.5 | 34.7 | 71.1 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 12.1 |
| 2018-19 | BRK | 40 | 27 | 42.9 | 31.2 | 69.1 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 13.7 |
| 2019-20 | BRK | 45 | 30 | 42.5 | 36.4 | 71.1 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 18.7 |
| 2020-21 * | All Teams | 47 | 32 | 44.1 | 32.6 | 81.1 | 0.7 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 5.2 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 20.2 |
| 2020-21 * | IND | 35 | 33 | 44.3 | 31.8 | 82.2 | 0.7 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 20.7 |
| 2020-21 * | BRK | 12 | 28 | 43.5 | 34.9 | 76.5 | 0.8 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 6.0 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 18.5 |
| 2021-22 * | All Teams | 58 | 31 | 44.4 | 32.0 | 75.6 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 17.0 |
| 2021-22 * | IND | 39 | 31 | 44.7 | 32.3 | 76.0 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 18.7 |
| 2021-22 * | KEY | 19 | 30 | 43.5 | 31.3 | 74.5 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 13.6 |
| 2022-23 | KEY | 67 | 30 | 42.2 | 37.6 | 72.2 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 11.9 |
| Total | 385 | 28 | 43.5 | 34.0 | 73.5 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 14.2 | |
