Caris LeVert Foot Injury: Latest Since Net Guard’s Return

Brooklyn Nets guard Caris LeVert hadn’t done what he did Wednesday since the 13th game of his young NBA career. He didn’t score a single point on 5 shot attempts, which last happened on Jan. 2, 2017 in a 101-89 loss to the Utah Jazz.

It was not the best way to celebrate his own Bobblehead Night.

It’s another data point in a growing set showing that LeVert hasn’t been quite right since returning from his gruesome ankle injury back in mid-November. He suffered a subtalar dislocation of his right foot in a 120-113 loss at the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Surgery was not required, which put him on the path to playing again in early February.

LeVert’s Sagging Scoring Output, Outlook for the Rest of 2019

The 24-year old sprinted out of the gates in 2018, averaging 18.4 points in 14 games. Since he returned against the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 8, he has averaged 8.9 points in 7 games. He did receive a standing ovation when he hit the floor, as he tallied 11 points in the double-digit home loss.

He has scored in double figures in 4 of his 7 games this past February. For comparison’s sake, he failed to do that only twice in his 14 games in late October and November.

This has caused LeVert to admit he’s taken a step back since his injury.

“I feel like I’m getting close every day,” said LeVert to the New York Post, “Even though [Wednesday against the Wizards] was a step back, I still feel like I’m right there. My confidence is still at the same spot it was. I had a great practice today. I’m looking forward to [Friday against the Hornets] to bounce back.”

He declined to pin the blame on his injury, rather stating that the toughest part of the recovery was “the mental aspect.”

“Three months is a long time to be out, but I don’t want to put it all on the injury,” LeVert said. “I feel like I could have had better energy and defensively and maybe sparked something offensively. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it was. The loss hurts more than anything else.”

Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said the production will return with time, saying that the injury has not affected LeVert’s athleticism.

“The shooting numbers are down. It’s just that basketball feel you have. It just takes time,” Atkinson said to the New York Daily News. “I don’t see him looking slow or timid. None of that. I don’t see that effect. It’s just that touch, that feel. You only way you get it back is to play more NBA minutes.”

His shooting percentage is way down from early in the season. He connected on 47.5 percent of his field goals through the first 14 games, including a 19-of-61 effort from behind the arc.

He shot at a 32.4 percent clip overall in February while canning just 7 of his 27 triple attempts. While it’s easy to just say he needs to make more shots, the injury could hinder his ability to create separation from defenders.

Brooklyn is 32-31 and ranks sixth in the Eastern Conference. The Nets host the ninth-place Charlotte Hornets tonight at Barclays Center (7:30 p.m. EST, YES Network and Fox Sports Charlotte).