Anyone think Caris Levert has All Star tools and potential? Clippers pick?

[chambers]

I've liked Caris Levert for a while now, and I was slightly unimpressed by how easily Stanley Johnson manhandled him with his physicality a few weeks ago, but Caris' length, quickness and size are pretty incredible for a college wing with a beautiful shooting stroke like Levert boasts, and I still think if he can put some weight on that wirey frame that he could be an absolute steal with All Star potential. His defensive potential is also very high because he has the combination of athleticism and anticipation of what moves to make before they happen.

What number do we think he's drafted? Is there any chance he's around if the Clippers pick is 22-24?

I originally thought we had no chance, but the broken foot he suffered this season might push him back to around 20 if we were lucky....

If you haven't watched this guy yet, his skills include:

-6'7(and growing) combo guard with a 7'1" wingspan when last recorded (growing too).
-Shoots 40% from three on 4.4 attempts a game and 43% from 2 point fg attempts per game.
-Has elite ball handling skills in transition
-has very good to elite dribble breakdown ability in 1v1 situations and can thus create shots on his own.
-this season has shown flashes of overall playmaking brilliance with incredible passes, vision and anticipation.
-has the ability to change speeds and direction, as well as utilize hesitation and jab steps to create space- with the ball in his hands with an overall high level of craftiness for a player of his age/experience.

I watch this guy and think of a half Steve Francis, Half Tracy McGrady style of player but with blistering shooting skills from mid and deep range ala James Harden.
Anyone else love or hate this kid? Please tell why on either spectrum. Main worry seems to be about his strength and being outmuscled in the NBA, particularly on the defensive end. Nothing a good weight room can't fix right?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP-ClxaKyIg

[TheFlex]

Him and Young on the perimeter could be dangerous in a few years. Both are shooters but different players entirely. Seems as if LeVert has the ability to get in the paint and shoot off the dribble, while Young is more of a sharpshooter off the ball. I would support drafting him, and hopefully LeVert, Young and Smart as well can quickly get a handle of the NBA P&R (to a greater extent, Smart and LeVert). I believe Young's key to success is not developing an amazing handle that would allow him penetrate (though that would be nice), but rather just a confident handle in getting to where he wants to get on the perimeter (much like Bradley has done). If he can do that and Smart + LeVert eventually developed the ability to drive aggressively at the pro level, we'd have a potentially prolific starting wing rotation with size.

[BornReady]

Depends if he is bpa and what we do with our own pick

I've never been high on levert

I feel like the injury and the fact that he is a junior play down his potential 
Also he seems kind of passive offensively as the offenses focal point which is concerning as his offfense game is the highlight of his skill set 

[saltlover]

As a Michigan fan, I've seen a lot of Levert, so here are my thoughts:

Firstly, I don't expect him to be available when the Clippers pick, unless there are serious issues with his foot (which there may be), in which case I unfortunately think the Celtics should pass on him in the first if true.

That said, assuming he's reasonably healthy, I'm not completely sure he has All-Star tools.  He's got a very diverse toolset, but I don't think he projects to be a #1 option, which is what you think of when you think All-Star.  His biggest issue is strength -- he's still a beanpole, and even in college has issues finishing at the rim.  He can get to it well enough, but if he can't finish, he's forced into more jump shots.  He's long, athletic, a good spot-up shooter, a decent pull-up shooter, and a good passer/balhandler for someone who projects as a 2/3.  But if he's limited to being a jump shooter, that will take away some of the benefits of his penetration ability.

Defensively, while he does put up nice steal numbers, it always felt like he got those because he's got long arms and is pretty tall, and so intercepted a lot of half-court passes that were poor decisions in college but wouldn't be attempted in the pros.  I rarely saw him make those steals as the result of taking someone's dribble in a 1-on-1 situation.  Michigan also often employs a trapping 1-3-1 zone which led to some easy steals as well (which is a great system to use in college when you've got a guy like Levert, but isn't used in the NBA because that's just going to lead to a dunk.)  As a one-on-one defender, he seemed to rely on his length, but not any real technique.  When he's in the pros and length alone won't cut it, it's not clear he'll be great at defense.  We've seen this problem with James Young, although I think Levert is a little better at team defense concepts.

Some may also say he wasn't able to carry a team, as he sometimes struggled this year while being asked to lead Michigan.  Doesn't have that "it" factor.  I don't really buy that argument so much.  When he got hurt, he led the team in points, rebounds, assist, steals, blocks, 3-point % (for players who'd taken more than 4) and attempts (ie he had both good efficiency and at a high volume).  Michigan wasn't a great team when he was their best player, but they're 3-8 since he got injured compared to 11-7 when he was playing.  The team around him was very limited.

He also has added to his game as he's been in college.  As a freshman, he stood in the corner for the 3.  That was it.  As a sophomore, he was more of a secondary ball-handler and still largely a spot-up shooter.  This year he showed he could be the primary ballhandler, and could create both his own shot and shots for his teammates.  He's been a very hard-worker (unfortunately his extra work in the gym may have led to his foot injury).  I do think he can be a very versatile #2 or #3 option in the NBA.  He has the potential to be great defensively because of the problem his length can cause on the wing, but I don't think it's guaranteed.  But the biggest thing, aside from health, is strength.  He's still young (turns 21 in August, and is younger than a lot of sophomores), so maybe his body can keep developing.  But there's a very real chance that he won't be strong enough to ever keep up with the competition.  And that's why a bouncy wing who's 6'7" with long arms and can shoot, pass, and dribble was projected in the 10-15 range instead of the top 10 before he got injured.

[hwangjini_1]

As a Michigan fan, I've seen a lot of Levert, so here are my thoughts:

Firstly, I don't expect him to be available when the Clippers pick, unless there are serious issues with his foot (which there may be), in which case I unfortunately think the Celtics should pass on him in the first if true.

That said, assuming he's reasonably healthy, I'm not completely sure he has All-Star tools.  He's got a very diverse toolset, but I don't think he projects to be a #1 option, which is what you think of when you think All-Star.  His biggest issue is strength -- he's still a beanpole, and even in college has issues finishing at the rim.  He can get to it well enough, but if he can't finish, he's forced into more jump shots.  He's long, athletic, a good spot-up shooter, a decent pull-up shooter, and a good passer/balhandler for someone who projects as a 2/3.  But if he's limited to being a jump shooter, that will take away some of the benefits of his penetration ability.

Defensively, while he does put up nice steal numbers, it always felt like he got those because he's got long arms and is pretty tall, and so intercepted a lot of half-court passes that were poor decisions in college but wouldn't be attempted in the pros.  I rarely saw him make those steals as the result of taking someone's dribble in a 1-on-1 situation.  Michigan also often employs a trapping 1-3-1 zone which led to some easy steals as well (which is a great system to use in college when you've got a guy like Levert, but isn't used in the NBA because that's just going to lead to a dunk.)  As a one-on-one defender, he seemed to rely on his length, but not any real technique.  When he's in the pros and length alone won't cut it, it's not clear he'll be great at defense.  We've seen this problem with James Young, although I think Levert is a little better at team defense concepts.

Some may also say he wasn't able to carry a team, as he sometimes struggled this year while being asked to lead Michigan.  Doesn't have that "it" factor.  I don't really buy that argument so much.  When he got hurt, he led the team in points, rebounds, assist, steals, blocks, 3-point % (for players who'd taken more than 4) and attempts (ie he had both good efficiency and at a high volume).  Michigan wasn't a great team when he was their best player, but they're 3-8 since he got injured compared to 11-7 when he was playing.  The team around him was very limited.

He also has added to his game as he's been in college.  As a freshman, he stood in the corner for the 3.  That was it.  As a sophomore, he was more of a secondary ball-handler and still largely a spot-up shooter.  This year he showed he could be the primary ballhandler, and could create both his own shot and shots for his teammates.  He's been a very hard-worker (unfortunately his extra work in the gym may have led to his foot injury).  I do think he can be a very versatile #2 or #3 option in the NBA.  He has the potential to be great defensively because of the problem his length can cause on the wing, but I don't think it's guaranteed.  But the biggest thing, aside from health, is strength.  He's still young (turns 21 in August, and is younger than a lot of sophomores), so maybe his body can keep developing.  But there's a very real chance that he won't be strong enough to ever keep up with the competition.  And that's why a bouncy wing who's 6'7" with long arms and can shoot, pass, and dribble was projected in the 10-15 range instead of the top 10 before he got injured.

great analysis saltlover, tp for the good work.

on the point about him being a junior, for draft express that doesnt seem to be an issues.

"Despite being a junior, LeVert is still fairly young, not turning 21 until the end of August, which makes him younger than six of the 22 sophomores in our top-100 rankings, and only six months older than some of the freshmen even."

his "bean pole" status is something to look at given the strength of many nba sf and sg. but again, draft express holds out hope for him since he has gained a good bit of weight and muscle since his freshman year. he weighed 162 and is now listed at 200.

IF IF IF he is available in the 20s and not badly injured, he would be a good choice.

[jonaslopes]

What about his injury? Not so sure about him.

I wouldn't mind if we draft Tyus Jones with the Clippers pick (I really don't see Smart as a PG). Or Christian Wood.

[jonaslopes]

As a Michigan fan, I've seen a lot of Levert, so here are my thoughts:

Firstly, I don't expect him to be available when the Clippers pick, unless there are serious issues with his foot (which there may be), in which case I unfortunately think the Celtics should pass on him in the first if true.

That said, assuming he's reasonably healthy, I'm not completely sure he has All-Star tools.  He's got a very diverse toolset, but I don't think he projects to be a #1 option, which is what you think of when you think All-Star.  His biggest issue is strength -- he's still a beanpole, and even in college has issues finishing at the rim.  He can get to it well enough, but if he can't finish, he's forced into more jump shots.  He's long, athletic, a good spot-up shooter, a decent pull-up shooter, and a good passer/balhandler for someone who projects as a 2/3.  But if he's limited to being a jump shooter, that will take away some of the benefits of his penetration ability.

Defensively, while he does put up nice steal numbers, it always felt like he got those because he's got long arms and is pretty tall, and so intercepted a lot of half-court passes that were poor decisions in college but wouldn't be attempted in the pros.  I rarely saw him make those steals as the result of taking someone's dribble in a 1-on-1 situation.  Michigan also often employs a trapping 1-3-1 zone which led to some easy steals as well (which is a great system to use in college when you've got a guy like Levert, but isn't used in the NBA because that's just going to lead to a dunk.)  As a one-on-one defender, he seemed to rely on his length, but not any real technique.  When he's in the pros and length alone won't cut it, it's not clear he'll be great at defense.  We've seen this problem with James Young, although I think Levert is a little better at team defense concepts.

Some may also say he wasn't able to carry a team, as he sometimes struggled this year while being asked to lead Michigan.  Doesn't have that "it" factor.  I don't really buy that argument so much.  When he got hurt, he led the team in points, rebounds, assist, steals, blocks, 3-point % (for players who'd taken more than 4) and attempts (ie he had both good efficiency and at a high volume).  Michigan wasn't a great team when he was their best player, but they're 3-8 since he got injured compared to 11-7 when he was playing.  The team around him was very limited.

He also has added to his game as he's been in college.  As a freshman, he stood in the corner for the 3.  That was it.  As a sophomore, he was more of a secondary ball-handler and still largely a spot-up shooter.  This year he showed he could be the primary ballhandler, and could create both his own shot and shots for his teammates.  He's been a very hard-worker (unfortunately his extra work in the gym may have led to his foot injury).  I do think he can be a very versatile #2 or #3 option in the NBA.  He has the potential to be great defensively because of the problem his length can cause on the wing, but I don't think it's guaranteed.  But the biggest thing, aside from health, is strength.  He's still young (turns 21 in August, and is younger than a lot of sophomores), so maybe his body can keep developing.  But there's a very real chance that he won't be strong enough to ever keep up with the competition.  And that's why a bouncy wing who's 6'7" with long arms and can shoot, pass, and dribble was projected in the 10-15 range instead of the top 10 before he got injured.

Talking about Michigan, is Levert really that different from Stauskas? I'm asking because Stauskas is having a disappointing season. I was expecting more from him.

[saltlover]

As a Michigan fan, I've seen a lot of Levert, so here are my thoughts:

Firstly, I don't expect him to be available when the Clippers pick, unless there are serious issues with his foot (which there may be), in which case I unfortunately think the Celtics should pass on him in the first if true.

That said, assuming he's reasonably healthy, I'm not completely sure he has All-Star tools.  He's got a very diverse toolset, but I don't think he projects to be a #1 option, which is what you think of when you think All-Star.  His biggest issue is strength -- he's still a beanpole, and even in college has issues finishing at the rim.  He can get to it well enough, but if he can't finish, he's forced into more jump shots.  He's long, athletic, a good spot-up shooter, a decent pull-up shooter, and a good passer/balhandler for someone who projects as a 2/3.  But if he's limited to being a jump shooter, that will take away some of the benefits of his penetration ability.

Defensively, while he does put up nice steal numbers, it always felt like he got those because he's got long arms and is pretty tall, and so intercepted a lot of half-court passes that were poor decisions in college but wouldn't be attempted in the pros.  I rarely saw him make those steals as the result of taking someone's dribble in a 1-on-1 situation.  Michigan also often employs a trapping 1-3-1 zone which led to some easy steals as well (which is a great system to use in college when you've got a guy like Levert, but isn't used in the NBA because that's just going to lead to a dunk.)  As a one-on-one defender, he seemed to rely on his length, but not any real technique.  When he's in the pros and length alone won't cut it, it's not clear he'll be great at defense.  We've seen this problem with James Young, although I think Levert is a little better at team defense concepts.

Some may also say he wasn't able to carry a team, as he sometimes struggled this year while being asked to lead Michigan.  Doesn't have that "it" factor.  I don't really buy that argument so much.  When he got hurt, he led the team in points, rebounds, assist, steals, blocks, 3-point % (for players who'd taken more than 4) and attempts (ie he had both good efficiency and at a high volume).  Michigan wasn't a great team when he was their best player, but they're 3-8 since he got injured compared to 11-7 when he was playing.  The team around him was very limited.

He also has added to his game as he's been in college.  As a freshman, he stood in the corner for the 3.  That was it.  As a sophomore, he was more of a secondary ball-handler and still largely a spot-up shooter.  This year he showed he could be the primary ballhandler, and could create both his own shot and shots for his teammates.  He's been a very hard-worker (unfortunately his extra work in the gym may have led to his foot injury).  I do think he can be a very versatile #2 or #3 option in the NBA.  He has the potential to be great defensively because of the problem his length can cause on the wing, but I don't think it's guaranteed.  But the biggest thing, aside from health, is strength.  He's still young (turns 21 in August, and is younger than a lot of sophomores), so maybe his body can keep developing.  But there's a very real chance that he won't be strong enough to ever keep up with the competition.  And that's why a bouncy wing who's 6'7" with long arms and can shoot, pass, and dribble was projected in the 10-15 range instead of the top 10 before he got injured.

great analysis saltlover, tp for the good work.

on the point about him being a junior, for draft express that doesnt seem to be an issues.

"Despite being a junior, LeVert is still fairly young, not turning 21 until the end of August, which makes him younger than six of the 22 sophomores in our top-100 rankings, and only six months older than some of the freshmen even."

his "bean pole" status is something to look at given the strength of many nba sf and sg. but again, draft express holds out hope for him since he has gained a good bit of weight and muscle since his freshman year. he weighed 162 and is now listed at 200.

IF IF IF he is available in the 20s and not badly injured, he would be a good choice.

Thanks.  I'm not concerned about him being a junior.  I think it's great he's got three years of major college basketball experience despite being the same age as sophomores.  And I know draft express holds out hope he can put on more strength.  I do too.  But I think if they felt it was likely his body would continue to fill out in a way that wouldn't hurt his agility, they'd have had him higher than 12, which is where he was when he got injured.  It's possible, but in the case of Levert, it's not something that seems wise to project.  Think about it -- he's put on 40 pounds since starting college and he's still rail thin.  There is a limit for everyone, and he might be approaching it.

But if his foot checks out, I think he's a viable pick at 15 even, should the C's end up there.  I know it would annoy people who just want a center no ifs, ands, or buts.  That said, he's a player with a medium-to-high floor (excepting health) and a decent ceiling.  If he can't add the strength, I think his ceiling is Avery Bradley two inches taller.  If he can add the strength, Paul George is a great comp for a ceiling.  And as a floor, a bench guy who can give you minutes at multiple positions. (Note: I'm not saying he's Paul George, or is likely to be.  In fact I think he won be.  I do think that his game is similar, and if he reaches every ounce of potential, he could become that type of player.)  If his foot is a bigger issue, he's a great early second round choice for our Philly pick, if he does fall that far, so that the guaranteed money isn't as much of an issue.

[chambers]

As a Michigan fan, I've seen a lot of Levert, so here are my thoughts:

Firstly, I don't expect him to be available when the Clippers pick, unless there are serious issues with his foot (which there may be), in which case I unfortunately think the Celtics should pass on him in the first if true.

That said, assuming he's reasonably healthy, I'm not completely sure he has All-Star tools.  He's got a very diverse toolset, but I don't think he projects to be a #1 option, which is what you think of when you think All-Star.  His biggest issue is strength -- he's still a beanpole, and even in college has issues finishing at the rim.  He can get to it well enough, but if he can't finish, he's forced into more jump shots.  He's long, athletic, a good spot-up shooter, a decent pull-up shooter, and a good passer/balhandler for someone who projects as a 2/3.  But if he's limited to being a jump shooter, that will take away some of the benefits of his penetration ability.

Defensively, while he does put up nice steal numbers, it always felt like he got those because he's got long arms and is pretty tall, and so intercepted a lot of half-court passes that were poor decisions in college but wouldn't be attempted in the pros.  I rarely saw him make those steals as the result of taking someone's dribble in a 1-on-1 situation.  Michigan also often employs a trapping 1-3-1 zone which led to some easy steals as well (which is a great system to use in college when you've got a guy like Levert, but isn't used in the NBA because that's just going to lead to a dunk.)  As a one-on-one defender, he seemed to rely on his length, but not any real technique.  When he's in the pros and length alone won't cut it, it's not clear he'll be great at defense.  We've seen this problem with James Young, although I think Levert is a little better at team defense concepts.

Some may also say he wasn't able to carry a team, as he sometimes struggled this year while being asked to lead Michigan.  Doesn't have that "it" factor.  I don't really buy that argument so much.  When he got hurt, he led the team in points, rebounds, assist, steals, blocks, 3-point % (for players who'd taken more than 4) and attempts (ie he had both good efficiency and at a high volume).  Michigan wasn't a great team when he was their best player, but they're 3-8 since he got injured compared to 11-7 when he was playing.  The team around him was very limited.

He also has added to his game as he's been in college.  As a freshman, he stood in the corner for the 3.  That was it.  As a sophomore, he was more of a secondary ball-handler and still largely a spot-up shooter.  This year he showed he could be the primary ballhandler, and could create both his own shot and shots for his teammates.  He's been a very hard-worker (unfortunately his extra work in the gym may have led to his foot injury).  I do think he can be a very versatile #2 or #3 option in the NBA.  He has the potential to be great defensively because of the problem his length can cause on the wing, but I don't think it's guaranteed.  But the biggest thing, aside from health, is strength.  He's still young (turns 21 in August, and is younger than a lot of sophomores), so maybe his body can keep developing.  But there's a very real chance that he won't be strong enough to ever keep up with the competition.  And that's why a bouncy wing who's 6'7" with long arms and can shoot, pass, and dribble was projected in the 10-15 range instead of the top 10 before he got injured.

Great breakdown. I didn't realize he struggled to finish around the rim so much. I mean I watched him get owned by Johnson against Arizona but had only seen two games.

He is a medium risk- high reward kinda guy. I wonder if you could turn him into an ultimate version of Danny Green or Ray Allen.

I mean the thing is even if he doesn't pan out as an attacking scorer because of his lack of strength- there's no reason he can't be an elite role player with that 3 point shot and defensive potential at the very least ala Danny Green.

He apparently played with that broken foot for the second half of last season according to Nick Stauskas so he must be pretty tough.

Anyway he appears to have some on court qualities that are only possessed by top 50 NBA players whilst missing some physical and attitude requirements that don't appear to be too serious- or can at least be significantly improved under the right guidance and coaching.

[loco_91]

It sounds like we'll have to trade up if we want to get him. I do think it could be worth it, as he brings a LOT more than James Young imo. Similarily he is a good, long spot-up shooter who struggles with some defensive concepts. He's significantly older, of course. But he's a better shooter, a less bad defender, quicker, a better ball handler, a better passer, has a higher motor.

He does have a bit of all-star potential if he adds a lot of weight and gets his off-the-dribble shot up to par with his spot-up shot, neither of these are outrageous propositions.

[saltlover]

Talking about Michigan, is Levert really that different from Stauskas? I'm asking because Stauskas is having a disappointing season. I was expecting more from him.

Firstly, let me say that I think the Kings have completely misused Stauskas this year.  I think he'd be great in the Celtics motion offense, and if he becomes available this summer at bargain cost, I really hope we pick him up.  Malone and Corbin made him play purely off the ball.  That might be changing with Karl.  As evidence, in the two games Stauskas has played in since the coaching change, he's attempted 10 free throws.  In 50 games under Malone and Corbin, he attempted only 35.  Prior to Karl, his role was to just run around the 3-point line and shoot if if they passed it to him.  He slumped, they played him less, and he slumped more.  He went for 15 last night on 4 of 8 shooting and 6 of 6 from the line.  We'll see if he has more games like that.

Anyway, now that I'm done defending Stauskas, Levert is very different.  Stauskas is unquestionably the better shooter.  Levert is definitely better at creating for teammates and running an offense -- there were a number of games last year where they had Levert actually play point guard.  This year he reprised that role as more of a point forward.  Levert also is better at defense.  Stauskas really just didn't care too much about it, and the coaches would call him out publicly sometimes.  Although I question Levert's technique, I do not question his defensive effort.  He's taller by 2-3 inches, has an even longer reach/wingspan, and I imagine will best Stauskas at every combine drill if he's healhty enough to participate (i.e. more athletic).  Levert's shooting is very good for someone who can do a lot of things well.  Stauskas is better at getting to the line, and was much better at finishing at the rim (which is why he needs to play on the ball more).  They were very complimentary players at Michigan - Levert definitely benefitted from the attention paid to Stauskas, and Stauskas benefitted that Levert was good at getting the ball to him in situations that allowed him to create offense.

[jonaslopes]

Talking about Michigan, is Levert really that different from Stauskas? I'm asking because Stauskas is having a disappointing season. I was expecting more from him.

Firstly, let me say that I think the Kings have completely misused Stauskas this year.  I think he'd be great in the Celtics motion offense, and if he becomes available this summer at bargain cost, I really hope we pick him up. 

I'm glad to hear that. I wanted us to draft Stauskas, not Smart, and was disappointed after his season until few weeks ago. And then I wanted to trade for him at the deadline. I'll try to catch some Sac games.