Cavs Player Grades: Caris LeVert inconsistent as second banana

Cavs Player Grades for Caris LeVert: Overall Grade

When Caris LeVert took the court with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he improved the offense by 5.1 points per 100 possessions…and increased opponent scoring by 7.5 points per 100 possessions, again per Cleaning the Glass. That -2.5 differential ranked LeVert in the 38th percentile in the league.

He absolutely fit the proof of concept as a bigger playmaker; his assists percentage was strong for a wing, and he reasonably operated as the backup point guard. The offense played better with him on the court, and Darius Garland thrived with the help. Yet LeVert gave it all up and more on the defensive end, and combined with his absolutely chilly shooting (19th percentile among wings in points-per-shot-attempt) he was a net negative for the Cavs.

Here is the coup de grace stat. Part of the need LeVert was supposed to address was the Cavs’ ability to survive without Garland on the court. With LeVert on the court and Garland off, the Cavaliers were outscored by 20.1 points per 100 possessions, a mark that ranked in the 2nd percentile leaguewide. Without Garland there, LeVert couldn’t carry this team anywhere, on either end of the court.

That’s the nightmare reality for the Cavs moving forward. Perhaps LeVert will settle in with a full offseason on the team, get more comfortable with his teammates, and find his niche running the bench offense. He will likely shoot better next season.

The reality remains that LeVert was a net negative for a team that desperately needed a positive to help boost it into the postseason and they didn’t get one. All of the caveats of injuries and midseason trade aside, LeVert hurt the Cavs when he was on the court.

Grade: C-