The Brooklyn Nets didn't have much to celebrate last night, run off the court in a bad home loss to the visiting Toronto Raptors as Fred VanVleet (29 points, 11 assists), Kyle Lowry (26 points), and Serge Ibaka (21 points, 12 rebounds) all came up huge in the 121-102 Raptor win.
Though the Nets received strong play from lead guard Spencer Dinwiddie (23 points, 7 assists) as he quietly pieces together an All-Star level season, the brightest spot for the home team was the return and play of guard Caris Levert. Levert, 25, hadn't played since November 10 because of a right thumb injury that required surgery to repair torn ligaments. In just 16 minutes of action on Saturday, he scored 13 points on 5/7 shooting, providing the scoring punch - and playmaking - that the Nets sorely missed while he was away from action.
The first bucket for Levert came in the form of a one dribble pull up on the right side off of a pass from Deandre Jordan, in which he freed himself from Patrick McCaw on a back cut. On the ensuing Net possession, he drove right, getting to the basket and kicking to Wilson Chandler in the left corner, who then swung the ball to Rodions Kurucs, who knocked down a three. His next scoring opportunity came on another back cut, where he went up high and was fouled at the rim by Kyle Lowry. On another play, he drove to the inside, attracted three defenders, and threw a nice inside pass to Jordan for a dunk. Also, in the third quarter, he had a sequence where he hit a step back three from the right side and then another three ball shortly thereafter from the left. The second triple gave him 11 points in 11 minutes.
The plays provided an indication of what LeVert brings the Nets, as an athletic wing who is tough to defend and has the ability to make plays. In the first nine games this season before the injury, he had four games of 20 or more points. In my eyes, prior to his injury, he was a Most Improved Player candidate. He further provides the Nets with a guy who can handle the ball and take some of the pressure off of Dinwiddle to both handle the ball and score.
The Nets, 16-18 on the season, have been somewhat of a disappointment, although they have been without Kyrie Irving for 23 games as he deals with a shoulder impingement. Yesterday, it was reported that Irving is having issues raising his arm to shoot the ball and is taking cortisone shots rather than opt for surgery. With him out and the unknown of when he will be back, LeVert's role increases. Though he was on a minutes restriction last night, they will go up as the games go on.
And, if last night is any indication, he will provide the Nets with a big boost that they need.
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