Caris LeVert’s evolution has been nearly a decade in the making: ‘We failed at Brooklyn’

LeVert continues to show that he’s too valuable to be put into trade conversations at the deadline.

Cleveland Cavaliers reserve Caris LeVert isn’t the same player he’s been in the past. That has been on display this season as he’s been one of the most productive bench players in the entire league. LeVert’s performance in Cleveland’s win over the Brooklyn Nets was another example of that.

Nine of LeVert’s 10 field goal attempts came from beyond the arc. He poured in 19 points, four assists, and two steals in 19 minutes of play. LeVert did this by prioritizing the right shots and playing with a forcefulness that he hasn’t consistently done throughout his career.

It’s only appropriate that this was all on full display as he and Kenny Atkinson returned to their former stomping ground where they both made their debuts in 2016.

“I failed at Brooklyn, or we failed at Brooklyn trying to get him to change his shot profile,” said Atkinson about LeVert after the win. “We tried everything. ... That was a big part when I came in is to make another push and he’s bought in.”

To say that LeVert has bought in would be an understatement. He’s taking a career-high percentage of his shots at the rim (46%, 83rd percentile) and a career-low from the midrange (12%). For comparison 28% of his field goal attempts came from the midrange last season.

This has all led to LeVert having the most efficient year of his career. His effective field goal percentage of 65.8% is among the best in the league (98th percentile). That’s due to shooting an incredible 48.8% from three and getting to the free-throw line on a career-high 13.4% of his shot attempts (84th percentile). This has allowed the Cavs to post a blistering 128.8 offensive rating when he’s on the floor. That’s 10.8 points better than when he’s off.

Sometimes in life it’s not the message that’s the issue, it’s the time and way it’s delivered that cause it not to resonate as it should. It was clear early on that this time around with Atkinson was going to be different.

“I think it just brings me a level of comfort [having Atkinson back as head coach],” Levert told Fear the Sword at the beginning of November. “It’s like any other relationship you’ve been with someone for a long time. You just have a level of comfort with them. I was with Kenny for four and a half, five years. We kind of went through the wringer, lost a lot of games, went to the playoffs, saw the ups and downs. When you’re with someone every single day you see the true parts of them. Think you just get super familiar with them.”

The issues with LeVert have never been skill-based. He can create his own shot out of thin air and is arguably the most talented sixth man in the league. But what often makes players good or great isn’t their skill level. It’s that they can apply them in a way that maximizes their usefulness.

“It’s the curse of the great ball handler,” Atkinson said. “He’s got such great handles, and his whole life, even catching it and just like putting it down, Darius [Garland] has some of that too. It’s like, for some reason they don’t want to take the easy three. They kind of want to make it a little more difficult.”

Trade season is quickly approaching. LeVert has had his name in rumors for years. The Cavs don’t have many moveable contracts and very few draft assets to trade. Normally, LeVert and his expiring contract would be at the forefront of these conversations. However, he’s elevated himself out of those discussions.

LeVert has made himself nearly untradeable given how valuable he is to this second unit and the incredible improvements he’s shown under Atkinson. Any move would have to be for a better version of LeVert’s archetype that would cleanly fit into the Cavs’ offense and has a similar salary number. There’s not many players who match that criteria.

It’s fair to be skeptical of how good LeVert is appearing right now. The three-point shot will likely regress closer to the 35% he’s been throughout his career. But the way he’s playing that’s allowing him to have his career-best efficiency shouldn’t change under Atkinson.

Sometimes you have to fail before you can succeed. Right now, you couldn’t ask for a better quarter of the season from LeVert.

“It’s changing his value,” Atkinson said about LeVert’s transformation. “His value to our team, his value you know for future contracts. You have to be efficient in [this] sport. That’s what teams are looking for. That’s what we’re looking for. Maybe he has turned a corner.”