Getty Caris LeVert celebrates a three pointer against the Sixers in 2019.
Brooklyn Nets Sixth Man Caris LeVert was one of the stars that shined brightly during the summer’s NBA Bubble. LeVert put the NBA on notice in Orlando, averaging 25.0 points, 6.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in just 33 minutes of play. This included a monster 37-point game against Damian Lillard and the Blazers in the season finale. Many questioned if he would be inserted into the Nets’ starting lineup this season, ahead of Brooklyn’s shooting guard Spencer Dinwiddie who had the best season of his career last year. Nash eventually elected to bring Caris off the bench in a sixth-man role. Now that Dinwiddie is out for the rest of the season with a partially torn ACL, is it time to insert LeVert into the starting lineup? One Nets’ legend believes LeVert should continue to be Brooklyn’s, sixth man.
Vince Carter Sees Levert as a Sixth Man
Having played for eight NBA teams, Vince Carter is the true definition of a journeyman. Carter played 22 seasons in the NBA and many of them were way past his prime. It’s safe to say the eight-time all-star knows all about playing his role and he believes that LeVert’s best role for the Nets is as their sixth man. “I know Steve, a former teammate of mine, good friend. I hope he leaves LeVert on the bench and features him that way,” Carter said on ESPN’s The Jump in a transcript acquired from Yahoo Sports. “I think he’s going to become their third scorer, so let him have his time with this style and the way you’re playing. Let him have the second unit as the feature guy.
Earlier in the season, Nash said that he wanted to feature LeVert off of the bench in a role similar to how the Spurs used Manu Ginobili. “He’s so good with the ball in his hands that there’s a case to be made that he plays that Manu Ginobili role,” said Nash. “Manu played in All-Star Games. Start on the bench and run the second unit, closed games. So we’ll see how it goes.” Carter in a sense echoes the same sentiment as Nash, that is LeVert doesn’t have to necessarily start to be on the floor with KD and Kyrie. “And, of course, sometimes you can play the three of them together. But I think, keep it this way,” said Carter.
LeVert May Have To Start With Dinwiddie, Durant Out
This of course was when the Nets had a fully healthy roster. Not only have the Nets lost Spencer Dinwiddie for the season with a partially torn ACL, but Durant will be out for at least a week due to COVID contact tracing. With the roster becoming scarce it may be time for Nash to reconsider, especially because LeVert still Views himself as a starter.
“I feel like I’ve always viewed myself as a starter, even when y’all were laughing at me three years ago or whatever it was,” LeVert told Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “But whatever role it takes. You always want to do whatever it takes to maximize the win and try to make the collective the best possible. A well-rounded game, whatever it was across the stat sheet, is kind of my position on this team now.”
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