ONCE A BALLER, ALWAYS A BALLER
Welcome back to the second season of Slept On. If you were interested in who was Slept On in the 2017-18 Season, check out last season’s eight honored players here.
The road to success in professional sports is agonizing, painful, and can seem completely treacherous for those who dare test the waters of the sports world. Every player can tell you of the hard work put in to get to the spots they’re in now. They can tell you of the endless nights, the pain, and the grind which leads to being in any professional sports league. And every single player will tell you that the scariest thing for a professional sports player is one single word: injury.
That didn’t stop Caris Levert, one of the NBA’s surprising talents of this year. Levert is a fantastic scorer, perimeter defender, and is definitely Slept On.
COLLEGE AND CRUTCHES
Levert started his college career in an interesting spot. He was a three-star recruit, and one of the most passed on players of his high school class. Levert originally planned to play at Ohio University under Coach John Groce, but Groce’s move to the University of Illinois caused Levert to accept an offer made to him by the University of Michigan. Although this seems like a notably stronger decision (considering that Michigan was one of the best basketball programs in the country at the time), Levert’s hesitance to commit to Michigan was understood.
Michigan had already recruited Mitch McGary, Nik Stauskas, and Glenn Robinson III to the program. Because Stauskas and GRIII played at his position, Levert was afraid that he would end up sitting the bench for his first sea
son. This was a legitimate fear, as all three of those players played in the NBA, as well as Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr., who were also on the Michigan team. After coming off a bench role for his first season, Levert knew he had more to prove the next season. He had a successful sophomore campaign, averaging 13 PPG as well as being one of the team’s most consistent defensive presences.
Then, Levert hit a roadblock. Throughout the next two seasons, he wouldn’t play more than 18 games per season for the Wolverines. After fracturing his foot two times, Levert’s stock for the NBA Draft and his use on the court dropped drastically. Despite playing well in the few games he played for the Wolverines, Levert still struggled to convince NBA teams that he was worth a high draft pick.
Following three foot surgeries in 22 months, Levert was unable to participate in the NBA Combine for the 2016 NBA Draft. Against all odds, the Indiana Pacers saw that the young prospect could be a solid long-term player if he recovered. They selected Levert with the 20th pick in the draft, although he was packaged away as part of the trade for Thaddeus Young and sent to the Brooklyn Nets.
LeVert still struggled with injury but came back late in the season to average 8.2 PPG and end in 12th place for Rookie of the Year voting. The following season, Levert thrived in a bench role while managing to stay healthy and average 12.1 PPG while pitching in 4.2 APG for the Nets. So far this season, Levert has been phenomenal in eight games for Brooklyn, averaging 19 PPG and almost 5 RPG and APG. He’s been a bright light in a confusing Nets season so far.
HOW DOES HE GET IT DONE
Levert’s physical build and a mix of strange aspects within his game make him a dependable player with an interesting range of skills. Listed as a 6’7″ shooting guard, Levert doesn’t strug
gle with finishing against bigger defenders and taking heavy hits in the post. His strength also gives him the ability to body up on the defensive end against almost all five positions.
His mix of bulk pairs well with his high-level mobility, as his body control and bursts of athleticism make him difficult to guard off the dribble and hard to stay in front of. Because of this combination, as well as his considerable length, Levert is incredibly effective at the rim, blowing by defenders and taking the contact for frequent fouls and and-ones. Although a wavy shooter, Levert has proven that he’s not completely useless from behind the arc, a career 33% shooter from the three-point line. Levert also is a great perimeter defender, as his length and mobility allow him to stay in front of faster guards and contest jumpers from taller guards and forwards.
Levert is one of the Nets’ best players. He’s a strong scorer, defensive threat, and one of the greatest success stories in the NBA. Oh, and he’s definitely Slept On.
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