Caris LeVert

There was some good discussion of Caris on the Blog side (NBA Draft post), so I thought I’d move it here. By no means am I an NBA expert, but if Michael Carter-Williams can be ROY and Tim Hardaway Jr. a top-6 rookie, then I have no problem with someone projecting LeVert as a #4 pick next year. Dylan compared Hardaway’s junior year to LeVert’s sophomore year on 1/29/14 - http://www.umhoops.com/2014/01/29/big-tens-improved-players/ - and this year’s end-of-season numbers for Caris are even more favorable. If you assume he’ll get stronger and improve one or two more areas of his game, then he can be a legitimate NBA player. I know he’s been compared to Jamal Crawford, who’s had a pretty decent career.

Whatever “rank” Caris gets due to his basketball skills, bump it up another few spots because once GM’s sit down with him, they’ll realize he would make an excellent representative of any team/city. The young man has a personality any teammate or coach would love to have on their team.

Caris is somewhere between Brent Barry and Jamal Crawford. I think his position at the next level is going to be at PG i.e. Dante Exum or Michael Carter-Williams

I think teams will try to convert him into a PG (MCW is an excellent comparison in terms of body type/length) but his decision making skills aren’t at the level that you want out of an NBA PG. He can definitely get to that level, but I seem him more as a Lance Stephenson (if he bulks up) or Jamal Crawford, who both play SG but handle the ball more than your average SG. He can definitely sub in as a PG (like Crawford does) for short periods of time during games, but I don’t think he’ll ever solely be a PG.

Stereotypes sticking is a funny thing. Walton, LeVert and Stauskas all ended up with identical AST% but the opinions on passing ability varies based on the player. LeVert has elite vision in transition, great at penetrating and dishing and has come a long way in hitting the roll man in PnR. I expect him to take another leap in playmaking with a year of starter minutes under his belt. All this before the age of 20.

Assist by month:

Nov - 19
Dec- 12
Jan- 25
Feb- 18
March- 35

Jamal Crawford has had multiple seasons under his belt at PG. So has Brent Barry. I wouldn’t doubt Lance Stephenson playing PG either. Caris will be able to play either position for long stretches.

I don’t disagree with you guestavo, but…

"Assist by month:

Nov - 19
Dec- 12
Jan- 25
Feb- 18
March- 35"

…doesn’t really mean much to me.

Nov - 19 / 7 games = 2.7apg
Dec- 12 / 5 games = 2.4apg
Jan- 25 / 8 games = 3.1apg
Feb- 18 / 7 games = 2.6apg
March- 35 / 10 games = 3.5apg

So two of his top three months in assists per game came before February, even though his two highest months in minutes per game were February and March.

I don't disagree with you guestavo, but...

"Assist by month:

Nov - 19
Dec- 12
Jan- 25
Feb- 18
March- 35"

…doesn’t really mean much to me.

Nov - 19 / 7 games = 2.7apg
Dec- 12 / 5 games = 2.4apg
Jan- 25 / 8 games = 3.1apg
Feb- 18 / 7 games = 2.6apg
March- 35 / 10 games = 3.5apg

So two of his top three months in assists per game came before February, even though his two highest months in minutes per game were February and March.

The only outlier there was February and I surmise that occurred because that was the same month Nik went through his slump and Caris had to take on the scoring load (Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa)

His AST% was around 14 for most of the year and ended at 18. It’s all starting to click.

So, if Caris projects to a PG at the next level, then I’d think he should get some significant PT there next year. He’s not going to take Walton’s minutes. And if we’re (hopefully) in on another elite PG in 2015 – I don’t think it’s crazy to consider that we may have seen the last of Spike in a Michigan uniform.

So, if Caris projects to a PG at the next level, then I'd think he should get some significant PT there next year. He's not going to take Walton's minutes. And if we're (hopefully) in on another elite PG in 2015 -- I don't think it's crazy to consider that we may have seen the last of Spike in a Michigan uniform.

With all due respect, it’s a little crazy. (1) Assuming we’re losing one of our key ball handlers (Stauskas) and considering LeVert already played 34 minutes per game, I’m pretty sure Albrecht will be seeing the court next year, and probably again as a senior PG. (2) LeVert doesn’t have to play PG at Michigan to project as a PG in the NBA (nor anyone at any position at any school, for that matter). He and Stauskas ran twice as many ball screen plays as Walton, who I assume ran many more than Albrecht, yet Albrecht still saw the floor. (3) Piggybacking off my last point, I think it’s more likely that 2s (and maybe 3s) at Michigan project better as NBA PGs than they would at other schools considering the types of players and skills Beilein covets. This is just one reason why I think Brunson wouldn’t have a problem fitting in with a couple veteran PGs. And also combos or 2Gs like Coleman and Davis would have the best chance at developing into NBA PGs at Michigan.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24598918/nba-mock-draft

More hype for LeVert