2015 Caris Early Entry?
http://nbadraft.net/2015mock_draft
Not sure if anyone had posted this prior - if so, feel free to remove - but it appears as if Caris Levert is getting some NBA love now? NBADraft.net has him listed as a first-round pick in the 2015 draft. I am perhaps not the largest Caris Lavert supporter but his development, offensively at least, has been amazing. That said, I'm skeptical of this projection. I'm just not sure where he would project to in the NBA given his size and skill set.
Thoughts?
Related, Stephen Ross should just start mailing Lavall Jordan envelopes full of cash now.
February 12th, 2014 at 3:37 PM ^
Stop it! Just stop! Don't be a fool, stay in school!
February 12th, 2014 at 3:39 PM ^
We aren't allowed to talk about the future. /crossthread.
Seriously though next year should be awesome too and I will talk about this year and the future and the same time if I want. If you don't want to talk about next year then don't.
February 12th, 2014 at 3:40 PM ^
Besides, who is "Caris Early" and who does he play for?
February 12th, 2014 at 3:43 PM ^
Is it just me, or does this site no longer have GRIII on any of their mocks?
February 12th, 2014 at 3:44 PM ^
Perhaps my ctrl + f function was not working but I found the same thing.
February 12th, 2014 at 3:49 PM ^
Wasn't on 2014 mock as well. I'd expect at least he'd be on the 2015 mock if they don't think he's close for this year.
February 12th, 2014 at 4:12 PM ^
he's fallen off of most mock draft boards.
February 12th, 2014 at 5:14 PM ^
Rightfully so.
February 12th, 2014 at 3:44 PM ^
I don't think anyone should be surprised by this. If LeVert puts in the same amount of work this summer as he did last summer he will go into next year finally close to a D1 playing weight and has an uncanny ability to get close to the basket. Once he can muscle through contact a bit more he will be very dangerous. Throw in some improved shooting and passing and cutting down on dribling the air out of the ball and I don't see why he can't be a first round pick.
February 12th, 2014 at 5:17 PM ^
to grow another inch and a half this summer.
February 12th, 2014 at 3:45 PM ^
Caris has the brightest future at the pro level out of all the guys on our roster. Draftexpress just placed him in the 2nd round of 2015 a few days ago and he is going to rise...
February 12th, 2014 at 4:38 PM ^
say wut.... i'd say mitch if gets healthy or irvin develops or walton keeps ballin like he has been they are all better than levert
February 13th, 2014 at 1:13 AM ^
Mitch is almost 21, and we all know the NBA loves those younger guys with the P word.
February 12th, 2014 at 4:42 PM ^
He has the combination of shooting, play-making, and driving ability to be a starter in the NBA. He kind of reminds me of Gordon Hayward after two years in college. Very similar skill sets with long limbs and that sneaky fast ability to get into the lane for layups and floaters.
February 12th, 2014 at 3:46 PM ^
Am I the only one to surprised to see Mitch going in the 2nd round of that projection in 2015? 6'10 guys that can defend, rebound, shoot (just enough), and produce down low typically don't get past the top 20 picks.
February 12th, 2014 at 4:06 PM ^
Don't be so sure. An old (by NBA terms) center with back problems might not be the lottery lock you think he'll be. The problem Mitch has is to fix one problem (prove his back issues are behind him) will make his second problem (his age) worse.
I think he comes out this year if he's healthy. And it's one reason I wouldnt completely rule him out of the NCAA tourny if he's physically able to play. It's the one way he could show scouts he's healthy without sacrificing another year on the clock.
February 12th, 2014 at 4:46 PM ^
DeJuan Blair slipped to #37 in 2009 because of chronic knee issues. Though 3 inches smaller than McGary, Blair also dominated the college game with his physicality and hussle play. McGary might have a similar fall, especially when you consider his age.
February 12th, 2014 at 4:59 PM ^
To be fair, DeJuan Blair's knee "issues" were: ACL's? 404 File Not Found.
Dude literally has no ACL's.
February 12th, 2014 at 5:03 PM ^
The internet tells me Hines Ward played without an ACL in his left knee. He lost it in a childhood biking accident. Apparently, the quad and hamstring remodel to compensate for the lost in stability.
February 12th, 2014 at 3:46 PM ^
He has shown improvement every year, its not out of the question. But they also have Mitch going in the 2nd round, that is a joke of a prediction!
February 12th, 2014 at 3:49 PM ^
Hardaway went in the first round. And he's not doing too badly in NY either.
February 12th, 2014 at 4:17 PM ^
Hardaway could dribble. When Levert starts "trying" to dribble in traffic, his name changes from Caris to Careless. I love the kid, but dear god does he need to learn how to dribble the damn ball and protect it while doing so..
February 12th, 2014 at 4:27 PM ^
Caris is averaging 1.7 TO's per game. That's less than Marcus Smart, Keith Appling, Yogi Ferrell, Doug McDermott, Aaron Craft, Jabari Parker, CJ Fair, and on and on.
Compare Caris's rate to someone like Tyler Ennis who has been one of the most effective point guards in the nation who is averaging 1.4 TO's per game.
Caris looks a little crazy with the ball, but he's not turning it over much at all.
February 12th, 2014 at 5:06 PM ^
Is there a usage statistic for college basketball to normalize TO rate? I imagine those PGs handle the ball more than Caris.
February 12th, 2014 at 11:01 PM ^
Caris is at 15.7%
Appling is at 14.7%
McDermott is at 10.5%
Parker is at 13.5%
Craft is at 23.9%
Smart is at 16.1%
Yogi is at 18.7%
PG will always have high TO Rate % because they handle the ball a ton where as C typically get the lowest TO Rate %. That being said, Appling is very impressive considering he's a PG and takes care of the ball. Yogi and Smart turn the ball over just like any other PG in the league while Craft turns the ball over at a much higher rate.
Caris is pretty solid with the ball in his hands but not great at it beacuse of his recklessness.
February 12th, 2014 at 5:38 PM ^
Not Just A Shooter beat me to it. That's a grossly unfair comparison to compare the amount of turnovers per game that a secondary ballhandler has in comparison to a point guard or a teams primary offensive weapon. To truly point to his total turnovers as a plausible method of determining his place among ballhandlers in the country, you'd have to come up with it in relation to some sort of statistic that takes into account the amount time handling the ball per game, which I'm sure is damn near impossible to come up with. But if such a stat did exist, Caris would easily be at the bottom of the list when compared to every player you just mentioned.
Is he an absolutely terrible ballhandler or a pure turnover machine? Of course not. But you're fooling yourself if you can't watch the game and realize he needs crap ton of work in that department.
February 12th, 2014 at 4:29 PM ^
Whenever THJ handled the ball, especially with his high dribble in transition, he was a turnover waiting to happen. He improved throughout his Mich career, but still never really had handle. Caris coughs it up sometimes but he creates a lot more than Timmy did and actually has some pretty sweet moves. Caris will get stronger with the ball and be much more than a one dribble and pull up player in the NBA.
February 12th, 2014 at 4:32 PM ^
February 12th, 2014 at 11:05 PM ^
THJ TO Rate %
Freshman: 11.1% (50th in the nation)
Sophomore: 14.4% (292 in the nation)
Junior: 15% (402 in the nation)
He took care of the ball well. TO Rate % increased because he gained more responsibility on handling the ball.
February 12th, 2014 at 3:53 PM ^
Yeah, I see LeVert entering the 2015 draft. Needs to work on his D more though.
February 12th, 2014 at 3:54 PM ^
If he keeps up this level of play his hat will be in the ring for that draft too. Damn you Beilein and your ability to get so much out of a PG! /s
Also I'm sure the McGary in the 2nd round is just a precaution as they don't know what will come from his back injury recovery.
February 12th, 2014 at 4:24 PM ^
February 12th, 2014 at 4:44 PM ^
And Walton has an inch on him. Trust me, it's a BIG if, but with the strides he has made this year he's a strong candidate to be on the radar at least.
February 12th, 2014 at 9:42 PM ^
February 12th, 2014 at 3:57 PM ^
I kid, I kid. Just having fun with all the draft obession on the board today.
February 12th, 2014 at 5:22 PM ^
and all the players are crap. Win a big game and they all are leaving early for the NBA.
Ah, the internet and fans.
February 12th, 2014 at 4:13 PM ^
February 12th, 2014 at 4:23 PM ^
Guys like GR3, Mcgary, Levert and Stauskas all have a ton of potential and the NBA loves potential, but good lord, none, I mean none of them are NBA ready. Show me a consistent year of dominant production, and maybe I'll change my tune, but right now I just don't see it. Look at Deshawn Thomas, he was an absolute stud last year and he is playing in Europe.
Stauskas is the only one I would say is even remotely ready for the jump, but teams have found ways to completely shut him down. I love these guys, but I don't see NBA readiness yet from any of them.
February 12th, 2014 at 4:46 PM ^
They mostly draft on potential.
February 12th, 2014 at 4:29 PM ^
February 12th, 2014 at 4:50 PM ^
Question: how exactly do players leaving early for the draft effect the teams APR in the eyes of the NCAA? IIRC, arent you penalized every time a player doesnt graduate? Because it seems like just about all of our recruits are leaving early for NBA now.
Along with that, what a good pitch to have if you're Beilein. Manny Harris, Darrius Morris, Trey Burke, Time hardaway, and eventually Mitch Mcgary, Nike stauskas, Glenn Robinson, and Levert.
February 12th, 2014 at 4:56 PM ^
Sure, he might leave in 2015, but that's a long time away. In 2014, with all that talent in the draft and his physical limitations, I don't see a team taking a chance in the 1st round, and thus it is unlikely he'd even consider leaving. But yeah, this is the annoyance with having a good team with good players; they tend to leave early for the NBA. Again, as somebody who lived through the Elerbe/Amaker years, I'll take it.
February 12th, 2014 at 5:02 PM ^
The question I have is how does Florida seem to have experienced talent every year? Their team made it to the Elite 8 three years in a row. Why didn't any of their four current seniors enter the draft? Anyway, I'd hope recruits are paying attention since it seems Michigan has turned into NBA U in addition to a mecca for point gaurds.
February 12th, 2014 at 5:07 PM ^
Caris leaving early would be.........unwise.
February 12th, 2014 at 5:28 PM ^
If he put on another 15(ish) lbs and put up 20 and 10 next year I bet you would change your tune, and neither of these two things are out of the question. This is a 2015 draft projection.
February 12th, 2014 at 5:19 PM ^
Still wild to me that last year's team may end up with 6 first rounders when all is said and done
February 12th, 2014 at 5:21 PM ^
I dont think Caris is NBA ready even next season. He reminds me too much of Manny Harris. Aggressive player with good shooting skills but too erratic. He makes too many mistakes and i dont think NBA scouts would want him
February 12th, 2014 at 5:24 PM ^
how many people last year thought that Nik would be NBA ready this year?
February 12th, 2014 at 5:52 PM ^
February 12th, 2014 at 6:40 PM ^
NBA ready is a small factor, and possibly a negative one, as the NBA drafts mostly on potential, which has been discussed ad nauseum here and elsewhere. NBA does not want finished products unless the finished product is exceptional.