As the Nets continue drowning, the Celtics continue salivating.
The Nets have lost 11 straight games and are looking up at every other team in the NBA, with no reward waiting at the end of the season. Boston controls what could end up being the No. 1 pick in a loaded 2017 draft. The playoff-bound Celtics will be able to swap picks again the following season.
In Brooklyn, hope is not around the corner. It is miles away.
Nevertheless, rookie Caris LeVert is providing some optimism the journey could be completed a little quicker than expected, with the athletic swingman making increasingly compelling arguments for his role on the rebuilding roster to continue growing.
“Every little bit you give him, he keeps on biting it off. It’s like, ‘OK, what’s next?’ ” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. “He’s accelerating his own growth. That’s the bottom line. … It’s still early in the process where he is. I’d really love for it to be gradual. That’s best for his development, but then again you never know. Some guys, they keep breaking through barriers, so it’d be wonderful if he’s one of those guys.
“He’s making a case for more minutes and more of a role, and that’s just the honest truth. That’s what we’re all seeing when we watch these games.”
LeVert made his pro debut on Dec. 7, due to a foot injury that caused the lottery talent to drop to 20th overall in last June’s draft, but the former Michigan star has needed little time to demonstrate his potential future value. Over the past seven games, the 22-year-old has played more than 22 minutes per game, averaging 10.1 points, with 2.7 rebounds, two assists and nearly a steal per game.
LeVert’s consistent two-way play has earned him a bigger role, and the trust of his more experienced teammates.
“I feel like Caris and Isaiah [Whitehead] have done a great job when their number’s called of doing the right thing,” Rondae Hollis-Jefferson said. “I feel that [trust has] grown over time and it’s much better. The coach feels comfortable with him doing it. We feel comfortable with him doing. He makes that smart play.”
Though LeVert said he feels ready to be given even more responsibility, he also acknowledges seeing decreased minutes in his transition from college star to rookie role player has helped him maximize the defensive abilities he always believed existed, landing him assignments against LeBron James, Paul George and DeMar DeRozan.
“At Michigan, my defense was kind of up and down because I played a lot of minutes and I was kind of scared to foul,” LeVert said. “Here, I’m allowed to play more freely on defense because I’m not asked to play as many minutes. … I’ve always felt like I’ve had the tools to be a good defender — long and quick, still working on my strength — I feel like I’ve had the tools, I just have to go out there and do it.
“Our job is to go in there, give as much energy as possible for the four to six minutes that we’re in there. Come out, get a rest and do it again.”
Jeremy Lin is closer to making his return from his second hamstring injury, but Atkinson isn’t any closer to knowing exactly when that will be. Lin most recently appeared on Dec. 26 in the Nets’ most recent win.
“There’s no timetable right now,” Atkinson said. “He’s progressing really well, but they don’t give me this date or this date. He’s working and he’s working with the performance team and doing all that he needs to do and progressing well. It’s a little vague, but that’s what it is.”
