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2016 NBA Draft Radar: A Healthy Caris LeVert Means He’s An NBA Lottery Pick

By James Fitzgerald

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Michigan Wolverines’ shooting guard Caris LeVert finds himself in the position of having to prove that he has fully recovered from injury this season.

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LeVert could have easily been a lottery pick in the 2015 NBA Draft last season if it was not for one thing — the injury bug decided to sneak up on him.

When Caris LeVert hurt his left foot in late January, it not only did damage to the Wolverines already tough 2014-15 campaign, but it also derailed any ambitions he may have had pertaining to declaring for the 2015 NBA Draft.

There is no doubt that if he was able to finish last season unscathed, he would have easily been a lottery pick.

LeVert has the measurable skills to be a solid NBA shooting guard. He is 6-foot-7, 200 pounds, with the ability to handle the ball and shoot.

He can create his own shot off the bounce, finish at the rim, and shoot it with range.

Over the last two seasons  his playing time increased to about 35 minutes per game.  LeVert has averaged 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists through 55 games.

In the 2013-14 season he averaged 12.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 43.9% shooting from the floor and 40.8% shooting from beyond the arc in 37 games.

Photo: Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports)

Before LeVert injured his foot in 2014-15, he was averaging 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 42.1% from the field and 40.5% from three-point land through 18 games.

His size, length, and versatility are what make him one of the more intriguing players to watch this season. He truly has the skillset to be able to play all three perimeter positions on the floor.

If you want him to run the point he has the ball-handling skills, decision making ability, and quickness on defense to be able to hang with point guards.

If you want him to play shooting guard or small forward he can shoot the ball, create for himself, and get it done on the fast break.

The thing he is going to need to do in the end is put on a little more mass so he can be more physical with his 6-foot-7 frame.

But everything comes down to that left foot. He has injured that same foot twice now since being in college and has had surgery twice.

Caris LeVert is going to be talked about as one of the most versatile players in the nation.

There are going to be very few players in the nation who can bring his shooting ability, ball-handling skills, and quickness at 6-foot-7.

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    • He is currently seen as the No. 10 NBA Draft prospect for 2016 by NBAdraft.net and and the No.19 overall prospect and top senior player in the country by DraftExpress.

    If Caris LeVert stays healthy and helps to get Michigan back into the NCAA Tournament after the dismal season they had last year, there is a very good chance that his stock will become lottery stock.

    But this is one of those situations where the playing ability of the draft prospect is not even in question.

    This is purely about Caris LeVert showing that he has fully mended from his left foot injury once and for all and that he can be durable.

    This is one of the players everyone will watch closely this upcoming season.

    Next: Kevin Ollie Snatches Verbal Commitment From Juwan Durham

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