The Nets defeated the Wizards in Brooklyn Tuesday night 103-98 and have won three of their last four games. Defense was the story as the Nets held the Wizards to 98 points on 40% shooting from the field and only 18% from three. Wizards star Bradley Beal, who has been hot of late, scored 28 but shot 11-33 and missed all seven of his three point attempts. A big key to the Nets win was second year guard/forward Caris LeVert’s individual defense and his work on offense in the pick and roll. LeVert really made Beal work, particularly in the second half and had a nice two man game working in the pick and roll with teammate Jarrett Allen.
LeVert finished with 16 points, 3 rebound and 8 assists and some really good plays on both ends that won’t show up in the box score. At 6’7″ LeVert is the type of wing athlete needed for a team to succeed in today’s NBA. He’s bouncy, has range, and can guard on the perimeter. Like all young players there is a balance he needs to find between going off instinct and reading and seeing the flow of the game. In his second year you are starting to see flashes of that and Tuesday night against the Wizards was another step in the process.
The Nets are 11-15 and currently sit 2.5 games out of the 8th spot for the playoffs. We are about a quarter of the way through the season and if making the playoffs is a goal, the Nets will have to start stringing together more wins. Given they don’t have their draft pick in 2018, they should do what they can to make the playoffs. GM Sean Marks is doing what he can, acquiring Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas from the 76ers. If head coach Kenny Atkinson can continue to get steady play and rely on young guys like LeVert, the playoffs are a real possibility.
After the game LeVert and I talked about the team’s trust in one another, the importance of maintaining the momentum built, an upcoming game with the Knicks, the game beginning to slow down for him, and reuniting with his Michigan Wolverine teammate Nik Stauskas.
Flip the page for postgame video of Caris LeVert.