Caris LeVert edges ever closer to the mystical 20 points per game threshold, the threshold where you stop being a role-player and start being a star. Or if not a star, at least something between a role-player and a star. But definitely no longer a role-player. The only role-player who ever scored 20 points per game was Mike James (the old one, not the one who mysteriously disappeared from the Suns a few years ago and was never heard from again) in 2005-06.
What I’m getting at here is that if all-of-a-sudden there aren’t any more LeVert vids on this channel, it’s because he graduated. I haven’t published my exclusion list for this year yet (reason: I am the laziest bastard on God’s green earth), but I’m trying to be a little more picky on who I showcase. I strayed, over the years, in my quest to show role-players and scrubs, ending up with too many videos for players who were actually good. LeVert, this year, is quickly ascending into that “actually good” category.
He doesn’t have much of a choice; the Nets, aside from Cryrie Virgin, lack scoring punch. Lots of solid vets and stuff, but not much in the way of pure pointage. LeVert is ready to put up the points as the second banana this year, and I couldn’t be happier for him. He’s gonna get tons of buckets and it’s gonna be really sad when Kevin Durant comes back and takes some of those buckets away.
I’m not done with LeVert yet, though. He has a few more games to show that he’s really more of a mid-teens scorer, and if he shows that, he can stick around.