Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets put their newly acquired first round pick to good use, selecting guard Caris LeVert out of Michigan.

The Brooklyn Nets acquired a first round pick Thursday afternoon from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Thaddeus Young. They decided to swing for the fences with the high risk potentially high reward selection of Caris LeVert.

The oft-injured guard is a lottery pick talent with excellent shooting range who can handle the ball and play guard multiple positions.

DraftExpress has him ranked as the No. 50 overall prospect in the draft.

In their Mar. 14, 2016 scouting report on LeVert, they confirmed the potential. The only worry is his health.

LeVert’s height, measured at 6’7”, is his best physical asset and one of the main reasons NBA teams are excited about him. He has the potential to play anywhere from the point guard spot to the small forward position, but looks to fit best as a combo guard at the next level. His size allows him to shoot or pass over smaller defenders as he can easily see the floor.

The rest of his physical profile doesn’t have any single overly impressive feature, but his overall package puts him on par with many NBA guards. He has a thin frame, and as a senior, it’s difficult to see him adding too much more bulk to his frame, which leaves him vulnerable to be overpowered by bigger players, particularly defensively. He is a very fluid and mobile athlete when healthy, both getting up and down the floor and moving laterally, but he doesn’t possess elite explosiveness, particularly finishing in traffic.

Although he is a senior, he is young for his class as he is the youngest senior in our top-100 rankings, and younger than a handful of juniors in our top 100.

Offensively, LeVert is a jack of all trades. It starts with his jumper, and he has developed into an excellent outside shooter over the past three years. He knocked down 40% of his three point attempts in his college career, and has a fluid stroke that shows he should be able to translate his performance to the NBA line. He converted 47.1% of his 34 total catch and shoot opportunities in his senior season according to Synergy Sports Technology.

Guard was definitely the right way to go for the Nets in this draft. Right now, the LeVert pick is a smart gamble.

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