Caris LeVert has given the Cleveland Cavaliers a jolt in post-All-Star break play, which has been a welcomed sight. LeVert has had his struggles at times this season, and after initially starting out the season starting regularly at the 3, he and the coaching staff mutually agreed for him to be a bench contributor.
Now, there’s still been ups and downs for LeVert at face value offensively, but he has aided the team throughout the season with much better than expected defense, and his playmaking has been a constant in his minutes. Whether he’s been coming in off the bench, or in spot starts at times since he was originally shifted to the bench, LeVert’s passing shouldn’t be discounted.
As the season has worn on, something that’s definitely made an impact, pertaining to LeVert, and the passing, in particular, has been his pick-and-roll play. It’s helped open up quality looks for bigs, and also shooters from timely feeds.
LeVert’s PnR play has given the Cavaliers juice, and that can be carried into the playoffs.
LeVert has not had the most efficient season as a scorer, as he’s had 12.0 points per outing, which has been below his career average of 14.2, and he hasn’t been as on-point inside the arc as one would’ve anticipated. He’s only placed in the 28th percentile as a pick-and-roll scorer this season as well, per Synergy Sports.
That said, LeVert’s off-ball scoring has fared better than many could’ve expected coming into the year, which has played into him hitting 37.9 percent of his 4.3 three-point attempts per game. Paired with that, as we were hinting at earlier, LeVert’s pick-and-roll work, despite the scoring splits in that play type, has also been solid, and he could make a difference there in stretches in the postseason.
Earlier in the season, LeVert appeared to be somewhat out of sorts as a decision-maker in those situations, and it could then lead to highly contested, late-clock shots, or him forcing passes which weren’t going to result in quality looks for others.
Fortunately, as he’s become more comfortable with the Cavaliers this season, he’s changed his tune, especially as a passer.
On the season, he’s averaged 4.0 assists per contest, and as the year has progressed, he’s demonstrated ever-improving chemistry with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the pick-and-roll, which could give Cleveland a lift in the playoffs in spurts as well. LeVert’s feel for hitting interior dishes to his bigs has been on display for a number of games, and it’s helped Mobley, who has been on a tear for quite some time, get going.
Additionally, even with his inconsistencies as a pull-up threat this season, LeVert has been able to leverage his rim pressure into generating nice catch-and-shoot looks for others out of the PnR. In the postseason that could pay dividends for others, such as Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Cedi Osman, as it has post-All-Star break.
So, while LeVert’s recent scoring uptick has been a positive, of course, come the postseason, if he can give Cleveland a meaningful playmaking boost for stretches, that could help as games progress, and provide another solid PnR option, to play off the attention Garland and Mitchell will draw.
Although he’s not Ricky Rubio in terms of vision, LeVert can be trusted to lead the team for spurts with still above average vision and nice change of pace counters. LeVert placing in the 91st percentile in assist rate this season among wings, per Cleaning The Glass, has been impressive.