Caris LeVert: Two More Years!

[Wham with the Right Hand]

The easy answer is he's being asked to play small forward which he simply can't do. He's a fish out of water playing off the ball.

Cleaningtheglass.com has him in the 9th percentile among wings in points per shot attempt. However, he is in the 90th percentile in assists per usage rate. After his first two seasons he's consistently been in the 90's in assists per usage rate. He's a skillful and willing passer, which is why he needs the ball in his hands.

In 27 minutes at point guard, the Cavs are outscoring opponents' by 23.7 points per 100 possessions. At shooting guard it's a very good 10.8 points better. But at small forward the Cavs are being outscored by 5.4 points.

What is killing LeVert is his inability to hit the short mid-range shot (4-14 feet) which is his bread and butter. He's making just 26% of those shots. In each of the last two seasons he was at 43%. LeVert can get that shot anytime he wants but for some reason he is badly missing 10' uncontested jumpers right in front of the rim. It's gotten into his head.

He is hitting 50% of his corner 3's (89th percentile among wings) so maybe they should stick him in the corner and let him either shoot off the catch or pump fake and drive baseline for a layup or pass off to cutter.

LeVert is in the 70th percentile among wings for offensive rebounding so he does give the Cavs some second chances.

Overall the Cavs are 3.9 points better when he is on the court. That breaks down to 5.2 points better defensively and 1.3 points worse offensively.

I have to believe he'll get better on those short mid-range jumpers in the paint since he's well below his career averages. He brings a lot to the table defensively and passing the ball, and he's having a great year from the corner. He just needs to get his short jump shot back up to his career norm (although 43% is not a good percentage for that shot).

 

[Cavatt]

I look at the coach when young players regress, when players who are supposed to be In Their primes are posting career lows. Almost like not running an offensive system and relying on hero ball makes role players play …. Worse

Yeah I understand this, but they were playing great to start the season with lots of playmaking from both Levert and Mitchell. Both have had their assists fall precipitously lately. Is that really on the coach?

Roleplayers aren't moving the ball either. Some of it is that the Bucks and Raps specifically play the passing lanes with their length more than other teams. Some of it is that the guards have been playing a lot of hero ball and aren't making the easy pass as much anymore.

It's a really tough part of the schedule and the few guys that are healthy had to play a lot of min. When Neto and the garbage crew came in the ball started moving immediately. Something going on

 

[inliner311]

The easy answer is he's being asked to play small forward which he simply can't do. He's a fish out of water playing off the ball.

Cleaningtheglass.com has him in the 9th percentile among wings in points per shot attempt. However, he is in the 90th percentile in assists per usage rate. After his first two seasons he's consistently been in the 90's in assists per usage rate. He's a skillful and willing passer, which is why he needs the ball in his hands.

In 27 minutes at point guard, the Cavs are outscoring opponents' by 23.7 points per 100 possessions. At shooting guard it's a very good 10.8 points better. But at small forward the Cavs are being outscored by 5.4 points.

What is killing LeVert is his inability to hit the short mid-range shot (4-14 feet) which is his bread and butter. He's making just 26% of those shots. In each of the last two seasons he was at 43%. LeVert can get that shot anytime he wants but for some reason he is badly missing 10' uncontested jumpers right in front of the rim. It's gotten into his head.

He is hitting 50% of his corner 3's (89th percentile among wings) so maybe they should stick him in the corner and let him either shoot off the catch or pump fake and drive baseline for a layup or pass off to cutter.

LeVert is in the 70th percentile among wings for offensive rebounding so he does give the Cavs some second chances.

Overall the Cavs are 3.9 points better when he is on the court. That breaks down to 5.2 points better defensively and 1.3 points worse offensively.

I have to believe he'll get better on those short mid-range jumpers in the paint since he's well below his career averages. He brings a lot to the table defensively and passing the ball, and he's having a great year from the corner. He just needs to get his short jump shot back up to his career norm (although 43% is not a good percentage for that shot).

I don't think it's as much the position he is playing but when he is asked to play SF he isn't being asked to be the primary or secondary ball handler. I think of LeVert's game isn't about getting to particular spots but dribbling to create space to get a open shot. I think the dribbling is part of how he gets in rhythm and a comfort with his shot.

I'm just not sure he can be effective without the time to dribble and find his own shot. He has basically built himself to play basketball this way and I don't know if he can really change it.

 

[inliner311]

Yeah I understand this, but they were playing great to start the season with lots of playmaking from both Levert and Mitchell. Both have had their assists fall precipitously lately. Is that really on the coach?

Roleplayers aren't moving the ball either. Some of it is that the Bucks and Raps specifically play the passing lanes with their length more than other teams. Some of it is that the guards have been playing a lot of hero ball and aren't making the easy pass as much anymore.

It's a really tough part of the schedule and the few guys that are healthy had to play a lot of min. When Neto and the garbage crew came in the ball started moving immediately. Something going on

I think teams have adjusted to how this team plays. Last year the triple towers just had the advantage in height that it was hard for teams to match up with so it took longer for teams to adjust. The way this team is built now doesn't have that height or physical advantage, opposing teams have the personnel to match up and they don't really have to change their lineups to adjust to us. They just change how they are defending us schematically with their normal personnel.

I do think it's on the coaches to continue to evolve our offense and keep opposing teams on their toes.

 

[Bob_The_Cat]

While I think a lot could be on the coaches, as a professional basketball player, I just feel like you got to adjust and get yourself together.

This is true to a degree, but what would Draymond Green look like on a team with no offensive system and a coach that didn’t understand how to utilize his offensive skills and minimize his deficiencies? He’d look like one of the worst offensive players in the league.

Unfortunately the incredible amount of injuries we’ve had so far have prevented us from getting a better idea of what this team looks like as a whole and what pieces might need changed. Hopefully we can get at least a 2-3 week stretch where everyone is healthy and able to play more consistent roles.

 

[cavsfever]

P

I think teams have adjusted to how this team plays. Last year the triple towers just had the advantage in height that it was hard for teams to match up with so it took longer for teams to adjust. The way this team is built now doesn't have that height or physical advantage, opposing teams have the personnel to match up and they don't really have to change their lineups to adjust to us. They just change how they are defending us schematically with their normal personnel.

I do think it's on the coaches to continue to evolve our offense and keep opposing teams on their toes.

That is my sense too - we lost a certain special edge when we let Lauri go

 

[Jscc]

P
That is my sense too - we lost a certain special edge when we let Lauri go

I think our DG/Mitchell/Wade/Mobley/JA lineup replicates the three bigs lineup satisfactorily. Wade is 6'9 with a wingspan of 6'11 (Lauri's is 6'11 too). The only difference is that Okoro's defense is swapped with Wade's and Lauri's scoring is swapped with Mitchell's. And paradoxically, the Wade lineup has more net length because Mitchell's wingspan is more than Okoro's.

That lineup hasn't been given enough time to develop like the 3 bigs lineup last year was. It has 0 logged minutes 20 games in. Everybody can't stay on the fucking court though. Someone is always injured. ALWAYS.

 

[Beanie4Heisman]

Yeah I understand this, but they were playing great to start the season with lots of playmaking from both Levert and Mitchell. Both have had their assists fall precipitously lately. Is that really on the coach?

Roleplayers aren't moving the ball either. Some of it is that the Bucks and Raps specifically play the passing lanes with their length more than other teams. Some of it is that the guards have been playing a lot of hero ball and aren't making the easy pass as much anymore.

It's a really tough part of the schedule and the few guys that are healthy had to play a lot of min. When Neto and the garbage crew came in the ball started moving immediately. Something going on

Yes, when bodies off-ball don't move the ball stagnates severely in response. This effect worsens with time as those lazy habits become more pervasive and the defense loads up even moreso to contest the ball handler.

Indeed, Garland and Donovan both play well off P&R, but this is very predictable and can be schemed and loaded against to readily defend as a defense when the surrounding three players never cut or screen for one another.

It's the same frustration we had with our offense with LBJ running things from the top of the key.

How many times have our possessions ended up with either DG or Spida shooting a questionable three off the dribble simply to beat the shot clock because literally nothing developed during a given possession? Some games it's close to double digits where that happens.

We all clamored for Mobley to be an essential cog within the flow of the O. He's fairly under utilized on the end this season. He opens the game up immensely for Allen via big to big passing. Or the defense collapsing on him for kick-outs. they should open many sets each game entering the ball to him at the elbow or mid post. Passer screens away or backdoor UCLA cuts off the entry feed and Mobley read and reacts off of such or swings the ball to enter into another action.

Instead we repeatedly have possesions where the ball never gets below the FT line as Brad Daugherty has astutely pointed out when he's on the broadcast.

 

[Alec]

Nothing like trading a first round pick for an inefficient chucker.

 

[Cavatt]

Yes, when bodies off-ball don't move the ball stagnates severely in response. This effect worsens with time as those lazy habits become more pervasive and the defense loads up even moreso to contest the ball handler.

Indeed, Garland and Donovan both play well off P&R, but this is very predictable and can be schemed and loaded against to readily defend as a defense when the surrounding three players never cut or screen for one another.

It's the same frustration we had with our offense with LBJ running things from the top of the key.

How many times have our possessions ended up with either DG or Spida shooting a questionable three off the dribble simply to beat the shot clock because literally nothing developed during a given possession? Some games it's close to double digits where that happens.

We all clamored for Mobley to be an essential cog within the flow of the O. He's fairly under utilized on the end this season. He opens the game up immensely for Allen via big to big passing. Or the defense collapsing on him for kick-outs. they should open many sets each game entering the ball to him at the elbow or mid post. Passer screens away or backdoor UCLA cuts off the entry feed and Mobley read and reacts off of such or swings the ball to enter into another action.

Instead we repeatedly have possesions where the ball never gets below the FT line as Brad Daugherty has astutely pointed out when he's on the broadcast.

Well it looks like they stop running the offense under physicality to me. They actually seem to run it more at home.

Donovan I don't know, but surely JB wants Caris playmaking in that 2nd unit.

For Donovan, it seems like when he is shooting guard he shoots. When he plays PG he looks like one of the best players in the league, getting guys going and getting himself going.

Off ball screens have lessened, general body movement has lessened. Fewer cuts.

A lot of those shots are lazy. I think they are sick and tired personally. Same way Darius looked against the clippers and Warriors.

"He seems like regressed only trying to take hero 3s"

Donovan couldn't get past guys on the Piston's. His ankle is worse than we thought or he might be sick

 

[Omar The Horse]

He’s overdue for a breakout

 

[Beanie4Heisman]

Right, Caris is not a valuable contributor off-ball besides his rebounding and defense this season.

It makes the most sense to allow him to dominate the ball with the second unit, spread the floor with Love and Cedi and let Caris run the point while DG and Spida sit. He does a nice job feeding our bigs for lobs and will find others when they cut. He's not a scrub, just needs to be utilized in a role that best suits his capabilities.

 

[MirORich]

Nothing like trading a first round pick for an inefficient chucker.

It is what it is. He’d have a much different role here this season if the Mitchell trade(obviously the right move) hadn’t have happened.

 

[Jscc]

Nothing like trading a first round pick for an inefficient chucker.

Drafting outside the top 5 isn't a strength of this front office, unfortunately. Allen Crabbe, Joe Harris, Sir'Dominic Pointer, Tyrus Jones, and Dylan Windler (the team's late first and early second round selections) were not better players than LeVert.

You could say a shooter like Harris would've been nice.. but go read Nets boards. Their fans hate Harris more than anybody here hates LeVert.

And a late first round pick isn't going to net much in trade discussions.

So that trade broke even for me.

 

[red.]