Despite being linked to a potential trade for Jimmy Butler, Nets guard Caris LeVert is ready for a breakout year in Brooklyn during this, his third season, reports Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
“I feel like it’s definitely my turn to take a big leap,” LeVert said. “It’s obviously good to hear from my teammates, because I feel like I put in a lot of work on and off the court, mentally, physically, and I feel like I’m ready to take that leap for sure.”
LeVert, who averaged 12.1 points and 4.2 assists last season, is expected to improve upon those and other numbers this season, as the Nets are convinced he has far more talent to tap – so much so that they have reportedly already turned down a mid-first-round pick for LeVert and possibly held him out of any potential talks for Butler, per Lewis.
“I focus on myself and getting better every day. I can’t control [trades], so I don’t really focus on them,” said the 24-year-old. “If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I’m very blessed to be in this situation. I love this team. I want to play here for a long time, but I know it’s a business.”
If there’s any one specific thing that will help LeVert take that next step, it’s likely his strength development. He worked all offseason closely alongside Nets’ director of sports science, Dan Meehan, mostly working on lower body strength and conditioning.
“Finishing, defense, every part of my game was lacking with my lower body strength,” LeVert said. “Balance was one of the big things that was lacking for me last year and the year before that. My lower-body strength has definitely helped with that. Finishing at the rim, guarding bigger players defensively, that will definitely help a lot.”
LeVert will likely begin the 2018/19 season coming off the bench in a backup role to D’Angelo Russell and Allen Crabbe. But if expectations come to fruition, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him starting before season’s end.
Levert, another of the Net’s YoCoMoFo.
Young core moving forward