Brooklyn Nets Morning Dish: Caris LeVert discusses injury

In the Tuesday edition of the Brooklyn Nets Morning Dish, Caris LeVert addressed the media and talked about the emotions of his latest injury and recovery.

Happy Tuesday from the Brooklyn Nets Morning Dish, where we were interested listeners when injured star Caris LeVert discussed his injury and recovery from multiple angles — except for a timetable for his return.

LeVert, wearing a boot on his right foot and equipped with crutches, is a week out from the injury he sustained after landing awkwardly on his right leg after trying to block a shot by Josh Okogie of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 12.

He recalled, among other things, the shock at seeing his foot in the wrong place.

"“The first thing I thought was like, ‘Man, that’s a bad sprain. I probably won’t be able to play any more today’ before actually looking at it. The pain level just felt like a regular sprain. I knew I kind of fell on the side of my ankle.“Obviously, when I looked at it I was like, “Wow, that’s messed up.'”"

LeVert said the most painful part of the process was when doctors put his foot back into place, but that was replaced by the relief he felt after hearing the test results.

"“When I heard [there was no major damage aside from the dislocation], I was pretty relieved and obviously the next day I was very relieved.”"

Coach Kenny Atkinson noted there has been one very definite piece of progress already. That whole sympathy thing from his teammates? That’s done.

"“It’s past the sympathetic period. He’s normal, like one of their teammates, so they bust his chops. They’re busting his chops about Michigan and Ohio State this week.”"

Having gotten a prognosis that was better than anyone dared hoped after seeing the injury and its aftermath, it’s up to the rest of the Brooklyn Nets to hold down the fort until LeVert makes his way back to the court. Whenever that ends up being, that is.

Expensive misstep?

Anthony Puccio and Net Income of NetsDaily asked the question whether or not general manager Sean Marks — who has pushed mostly all of the right buttons during the rebuild of the Brooklyn Nets — misfired when he traded for Allen Crabbe in July 2017.

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That put the Nets in the position of actually having to pay out the final three years of Crabbe’s four-year, $75 million contract, a deal that sprung from an offer sheet the then-restricted free agent signed with Brooklyn in the summer of 2016.

The Portland Trail Blazers opted to match the offer, but then in a straight salary dump deal sent Crabbe to the Nets in exchange for Andrew Nicholson, acquired from the Washington Wizards in a 2017 deadline deal who subsequently played in only 10 games after coming to Brooklyn.

Nicholson was waived by the Blazers in August 2017 and hasn’t played in the NBA since. He’s currently in his second straight season in China, playing for the Fujian Sturgeons after spending last season with the Guangdong Dongguan Tigers.

According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, Marks opted to acquire Crabbe over picking up another first-round pick in a salary dump.

Was that a very expensive mistake? Crabbe is the highest-paid Net this season at $18.5 million and has a player option for next season at the same figure.

Crabbe had a strong finish last season after a poor start, so there’s at least some hope he can have an ever stronger finish this season after a much poorer start. He got the bag for making 3-pointers, but he’s shooting 28.9 percent this season from that distance.

As NetsDaily pointed out:

"He lost his spot in the starting lineup to Joe Harris, who is currently second in the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage.Crabbe is also shooting 30.6 percent in spot-up situations, 23 percent after at least one dribble and 13.8 percent on pull-up jumpers."

That is getting close to “last guy picked on the playground” shooting.

Allen shops with the kids

Brooklyn Nets big man Jarrett Allen spent his Sunday shopping with local kids at a Clinton Hill supermarket in advance of Thanksgiving.

Per Kings County Politics, Allen partnered with Key Food, 4-H Youth Development program and the Nets to bring kids for a Thanksgiving shopping spree.

Allen, still something of a kid himself at age 20, has been very active in the Brooklyn community since being drafted by the Nets in 2017.

"“It’s always been in my family. My grandma really instilled it in my whole family. From my mom down to us, we were always taught to give back to our community.”"

Allen provided each of the kids with a $100 gift card and a shopping list for groceries that included the ingredients to make his mother’s macaroni-and-cheese dish — a personal favorite of Allen’s.

Allen certainly made it a much nicer holiday week for several area families.

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"“That’s the reason this event is important to me. To impact even one family and help them have a better Thanksgiving means the world to me. I’m so thankful to have to opportunity to give back.”"

And Brooklyn is thankful to have Jarrett Allen, as well.