Caris LeVert: Two More Years!

[Lee]

Oh, and by the way, as of this moment, we will be sending the 26th pick of this draft to Indiana for this guy. Maybe Andrew Nembhard as well? Multiple people on this board said this was an awful trade. Are they sticking with that take?

It was a great trade at one point, but when we got Mitchell this became a good trade not great. I still make the trade and you cant beat his attitude or fit in the locker room, it just took a healthy roster and JBB playing him in different roles to figure out LeVert's fit with the team post Mitchell trade.

 

[MrDonut]

As someone who wasn't posting on this board when the Levert trade went down, I'd like to say that my take on the deal was completely correct. Please use this post for future reference.

 

[Dr No]

I don't trust this streaky shooting at all.

You shouldn't, but its all we have. I certainly would trust it farther than Okoro, Stevens, Rubio, Allen or Mobley. He's going to have to be good for us in the playoffs - outside of the obvious DM & DG he's our only realistic option. Its either LeVert or the even streakier Cedi, everyone else is benched.

 

[Dr No]

If you are looking at LeVert's 49% from 3 stat, you are missing the point. Ofcourse that comes back to the mean at 37% or so.

I think its as much about LeVerts attitude and effort as it is about a healthy Rubio and JBB being consistent in his role.

We learned LeVert is not a SF and not a PG. He is a good ball handler and passer for a SG, and he can guard the 1 and 2 well and smaller 3's. But pairing Levert with Rubio off the bench helps LeVert with his comfort level off the bench. When he starts, he starts at SG now and is not a primary ball handler.

Its not as much of LeVert has adjusted, the effort and attitude have been there all year, its that how we are using LeVert has really helped LeVert find his grove and ability.

We have changed our offense from the beginning of the season. What was a more open, moving, passing-oriented, offense has been scrapped for a more dribble heavy, iso heavy, offense. This is obviously in the LeVert wheelhouse.

 

[BimboColesHair]

We have changed our offense from the beginning of the season. What was a more open, moving, passing-oriented, offense has been scrapped for a more dribble heavy, iso heavy, offense. This is obviously in the LeVert wheelhouse.

We have?

By play type frequency we run the 11th fewest ISOs in the league. We haven't had a single month where ISOs as a % of our plays ran has eclipsed 7%.

Dribbles per touch in November? 2.59

Dribbles per touch in March? 2.56

The Cavs are still exactly what they were at the beginning of the season in the half court. High pick and roll centric.

 

[Dr No]

We have?

By play type frequency we run the 11th fewest ISOs in the league. We haven't had a single month where ISOs as a % of our plays ran has eclipsed 7%.

Dribbles per touch in November? 2.59

Dribbles per touch in March? 2.56

The Cavs are still exactly what they were at the beginning of the season in the half court. High pick and roll centric

I stand corrected. But something looks different, even if stats don’t back it up. Also - where do you find detailed stats like that?

 

[Lee]

We have?

By play type frequency we run the 11th fewest ISOs in the league. We haven't had a single month where ISOs as a % of our plays ran has eclipsed 7%.

Dribbles per touch in November? 2.59

Dribbles per touch in March? 2.56

The Cavs are still exactly what they were at the beginning of the season in the half court. High pick and roll centric.

Except things have happened that both you and I have said will happen.

First, and this is crazy, Mitchell and Garland have learned to play with each other. 2 friends who are both all stars and ball dominant guards but both a great shooters and can play off the ball took time to actually learn to play together, i know crazy.

2nd, Rubio being healthy to run the bench unit. It took a bit of time, but at the beginning of the year, he wasnt even available.

As for LeVert himself, his role has changed, we experimented with him starting at SF, but that didnt work, then when Rubio returned, LeVerts role became more consistent. Playing sg and some sf against smaller bench small forwards. LeVert does start when Mitchell or Garland is injured, but with LeVert now plays SG, he is asked to do much less of the ball handling duties.

I know this is all crazy stuff, its not like you and I and others ever said things take time or anything like that, lol

 

[Lee]

I stand corrected. But something looks different, even if stats don’t back it up. Also - where do you find detailed stats like that?

The difference is they are learning to play together. The 2 biggest things are LeVert having a more defined role from JBB, part of this because of figuring out where LeVert fits in and part is health.

The other is Garland and Mitchell are learning how to play with each other. Spots on the court the like the ball or how they like to get the ball, They are learning to pass the ball when the other has a more favorable matchup too. It takes time, and they will continue to grow with each other well into next year too. Both were always willing, but now they are more able too.

 

[2 For The Brew]

The difference is they are learning to play together. The 2 biggest things are LeVert having a more defined role from JBB, part of this because of figuring out where LeVert fits in and part is health.

The other is Garland and Mitchell are learning how to play with each other. Spots on the court the like the ball or how they like to get the ball, They are learning to pass the ball when the other has a more favorable matchup too. It takes time, and they will continue to grow with each other well into next year too. Both were always willing, but now they are more able too.

We also need Garland and Mitchell to keep working on playing with the other three players on the court. At times it makes sense to park Ice or Lamar in the corner for spacing but we need motion at times and they have to get Mobley more shots. We have to keep defenses honest. They are doing better but have a way to go yet.

This will be become more important next season as Mobley continues to grow his game.

There will be playoff games where Spyda and Darius will need to score sixty or more but we need games where one of the role players gets 15 points.

 

[BimboColesHair]

I stand corrected. But something looks different, even if stats don’t back it up. Also - where do you find detailed stats like that?

Because something is different.

We are playing more through Mobley and less through Mitchell and Garland than we did at the beginning of the season.

October to 12/31 Mobley had an 18% Usage rate.

1/1 to now he’s at 22.3%.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

After a miserable February LeVert is having an amazing March, even though it's only nine games so far. His FG% of 49.5% is his best shooting month of the year and his 3% of 43.1% is his highest since six games in October. His steals per game are a season high and his turnovers are a season low.

The question is whether he is just a streaky player who is on a hot streak at the moment or whether JBB has finally figured out how Caris fits with this group and Caris understands how his skills are best utilized.

I tend to lean toward the latter, although I don't think he'll continue to shoot 43% on 3's. LeVert can do a lot of things. With this team they need his defense, rebounding, dribble penetration, and passing more than a high volume shooting guard like he's been with previous teams. He's kind of like a Swiss Army knife where you can pull out whatever blade you need at the moment.

It's great to see the way he's playing so effectively and so unselfishly. I hope he can keep it up.

 

[Deezus]

This month, Caris has established himself as the clear #5 guy on the roster, and the gap between Jarrett and him is narrowing. If this continues through the post-season, he needs to be resigned this summer, full stop.

Going to have to disagree with that in a BIG way. But yes, he's our 5th best player, and always has been. The question is: does the price = the production... Which is a yes, if he plays like he has lately, but will he consistently?

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

From Chris Fedor's column today:

In mid-November, following a loss in Milwaukee that led to a lengthy heart-to-heart in the visitor’s locker room, LeVert and Bickerstaff mutually agreed a move to the bench was best. It would give him more freedom. It would keep him from hijacking offensive possessions designed for Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen -- the four mainstays in the starting lineup. It would provide a little more roster balance and second-unit stability. That was the thinking anyway.

But as the season went on that lineup they started the season with that included LeVert started playing better, although LeVert was now coming off the bench to join the Core Four.

Of all five-man lineups to log more than 100 minutes this season, LeVert appears in Cleveland’s two most productive.

The Garland-Mitchell-LeVert-Mobley-Allen quintet -- the original starting five that was labeled a “death lineup” by one coach prior to the year -- has the team’s best net rating, outscoring opponents by 12.9 points per 100 possessions.

Funny they started with that lineup, decided it wasn't their best lineup and scrapped it in November, and now it's their best five-man unit and is being used to close games.

 

[Peacedog]

I said it's narrowing, not that it's narrow. Different meanings. And yeah, obviously with the way he's playing now, it is technically narrowing. But I love Jarrett. He's my boy. Me and letsgocavs are his biggest FANS!

 

[Smooth]

What always got me with LeVert is he was a career 40% shooter from three while at Michigan in 300+ attempts.. His FG% and FT% are pretty aligned with what they were in college (43FG% at Michigan, 43.5FG% in NBA; 73FT% at Michigan, 73.5FT% in NBA) while his 3P% has diverted quite a bit: 40% at Michigan, 34% in NBA..

Never quite understood how a guy could see that big of an efficiency dip in 3P% when he was that good of a shooter in college and has maintained relative consistently elsewhere..

If he manages to finish the regular season around where he's at now (37.6% from 3) it would only be the second time in seven seasons he shot above 35% from 3 on the year..

Here's to hoping he's ascending at the right time but still difficult to fully believe in him given the massive ups and downs we've seen from him in his short time as a Cavalier..