Brooklyn Nets: 3 reasons why Caris LeVert could be a game-changer

1. LeVert’s offensive game is all the way back

It took awhile and there were some definite struggles along the way, but Caris LeVert’s offensive game is back at the level he was at before he dislocated his right foot in mid-November.

He moved back to the second unit after he had struggled in spots as a starter since returning.  LeVert’s first game back with the second unit was basically a bust, as well, as he went scoreless in 18 minutes on 0-for-6 shooting in the Brooklyn Nets’ 111-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on March 22.

But he followed that with 16 points in 24 minutes in a double-overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and finished the season strong, with seven double-figure outings in his last eight games.

That included 18 points in 28 minutes in the Nets’ 123-110 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on March 28. When the teams met on Nov. 4, LeVert finished with 20 points in 29 minutes to go with five rebounds and four steals.

LeVert uses a lot of body fakes and hesitation to get himself free once he gets into the lane and his timing took awhile to come around.

There were concerns about his confidence, concerns about whether his foot was in fact 100 percent.

This move from Wednesday’s season finale against the Miami Heat should erase all doubt on that subject.

The burst to get around uber-athletic Derrick Jones Jr. and a strong two-handed finish at the rim over the bigger Duncan Robinson? The foot appears to be just fine, thanks.

The biggest change with LeVert in his recent run is his confidence and touch from 3-point range.

LeVert entered the season a career 33.6 percent shooter on 3.4 attempts per game from deep. In 14 games before he was hurt, he was at 31.1 percent on 4.4 attempts a night.

And in his first 18 games back from the injury, LeVert was hitting a dreadful 24.2 percent on 3.4 attempts a game.

But over his last eight games, LeVert is shooting the 3 with a confidence he’s seldom shown in his first three NBA seasons, such as when he curled off a Jarrett Allen screen against the Milwaukee Bucks and went confidently to the open area behind the arc before pulling the trigger.

He’s shooting 45.2 percent from long range over his last eight games and if he can maintain anything close to that pace, LeVert becomes a major matchup problem for the 76ers, who also have to account for other shooters.