Caris LeVert has had his ups and downs this season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, which resulted in him starting the season relatively slow, for the most part.
As he’s settled into more of a bench role for the Cavaliers, his play has turned out, though. In the past couple of months, in particular, he has been giving the team a sizeable jolt, too, typically off the bench.
With the role adjustment he’s undergone as the season has worn on, LeVert is no longer a player that’s going to have the splits he had in his time with the Indiana Pacers, for instance. On the season, he’s averaged 12.0 points per contest, which has been his second-lowest scoring average of his career, and his lowest since his rookie year in 2016-17 with the Brooklyn Nets.
But, to LeVert’s credit, his passing has consistently given the Cavs a lift, and his catch-and-shoot play has been better than likely many would’ve anticipated coming into the season, myself included. On the year, despite his mid-range woes for much of the campaign leading to a career-low in two-point shooting, LeVert has hit 38.4 percent of his three-point attempts, a career-best in that area.
He’s tacked on 3.9 assists per outing as well, and the playmaking help from LeVert has been a constant. His chemistry with players such as Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell has gradually improved as the year has progressed, and hopefully that could aid the team in the playoffs.
One area where LeVert has definitely proven to give the team energy on a consistent basis has been his defense, too, which has been a pleasant surprise in 2022-23.
LeVert has been a difference-maker for the Cavs on defense, and that could pay off in the playoffs.
LeVert’s defense has been far better than one could’ve foreseen coming into the year, and it’s been a welcomed sight. It wasn’t as if he was a sieve on that end before, and he would always give max effort.
But, this season, he has seemingly picked up a notch. Granted, LeVert being healthy, for the most part, has likely been a factor playing into his success defensively.
Either way, he has typically been a positive impact for the Cavaliers on the defensive end, and that’s been increasingly apparent recently. LeVert does not the frame of say, Isaac Okoro, who is known for his perimeter defense, and Okoro’s 225-pound frame can enable him to wall up against opposing forwards and bigger guards when needed.
However, LeVert’s positioning on the perimeter has often been on-point to force opponents into difficult shots, and in his stretches on the floor, he has been in advantageous spots to make plays as a team defensive presence.
He’s been second among Cavaliers players in total steals and steals per game in post-All-Star break play at 24 and 1.3, trailing only Donovan Mitchell, and on the season, LeVert has forced 29 offensive fouls. That last number is by far and away a career-high for LeVert, and nearly double his previous best in offensive fouls drawn.
LeVert’s active hands off the ball, timing and instincts on the weak side and his hustle have all been significant for the Cavs, and in the playoffs to come, the Cavaliers will need that to continue in his time on the floor. Whether or not Isaac Okoro potentially misses some time in the playoffs with reportedly lingering knee soreness, LeVert could surely be a player Cleveland utilizes as a key defender on the perimeter against primary ball handlers and/or creators.
Regardless of Okoro’s eventual status, though, LeVert is going to be a player to watch for the Cavaliers, and he has proven to be a difference-maker as a playmaker on both ends of the floor.
Hopefully, those trends hold firm in the playoffs to come from LeVert, and this isn’t to discount his offensive scoring uptick from the past month.