Caris LeVert was one of the Detroit Pistons’ big offseason acquisitions and was penciled in for a big role off the bench, but an injury cost him four games, and he’s gotten off to a slow start since returning.
LeVert has not been good with the ball so far and made some poor choices again last night with two turnovers in 20 minutes and only four points to show for his efforts. He looks out of sync and a beat slow.
It’s far too early to worry about LeVert, especially since he’s not 100 percent and missed some key reps with his new teammates. He’s a veteran with a solid track record of consistent production, and he’ll eventually start doing it for the Pistons.
In the meantime, Javonte Green has gotten more playing time than he probably expected, and he’s making the most of it, which has helped make up for the lack of production from LeVert.
Javonte Green is a quiet hero for the Pistons
I’ve been impressed with Green at times, though he has missed a ton of layups in the young season, something he needs to sort out, as most of them have been uncontested bunnies.
But he’s shot the 3-ball well, hitting 43 percent of his long-range shots on over two attempts per game, a nice bonus that the Pistons weren’t expecting. Green is only a 34 percent 3-point shooter for his career, so is likely to come back to his norms at some point, but getting buckets from him has been gravy for the Pistons so far.
He’s also played good defense, often defending up, which has helped with some of the size issues the Pistons face without a real seven-footer or backup power forward on the roster. Green has held his own on everyone from Jaylen Brown to Kevin Durant, which is likely the reason JB Bickerstaff is comfortable using him for extended minutes off the bench.
The Pistons have had early injuries to their guard ranks and now Tobias Harris that have forced other players to step up, and Green has been up to the task. He was an afterthought this offseason as a late addition that didn't get much attention, but he’s fit right into the Pistons’ defensive identity and added some shooting that has been a bonus.
LeVert will eventually get right, and the Pistons will eventually get healthy, but Green has made his case to stay in the rotation and it’s at least good knowing there is depth to lean on when they need it.