Pro Blue Hoops: Caris LeVert hits game-winner for Atlanta Hawks

The trade for Caris LeVert is already paying off for the Atlanta Hawks, as the former Michigan Wolverine scored a game-winner against Memphis earlier this week:

It would be easy to highlight Franz Wagner every single week in our Pro Blue Hoops highlights. This week would be no different, as he scored 25+ points twice while shooting better than 50 percent from the field in each.

However, we want to spread the love around. Elsewhere among Michigan alumni, Caris LeVert hit a game-winning layup at the buzzer to propel the Hawks over the Grizzlies, Duncan Robinson is heating up, and Chaundee Brown Jr. had a big performance overseas.

LeVert wins it for the Hawks

Since being traded from Cleveland to Atlanta, LeVert has experienced a bit of a career renaissance. In nine games with the Hawks, his scoring is up from 10.2 to 16.3 points per game, and his rebounding is up from 2.8 to 4.2 per game. However, Monday night in Memphis was his best highlight yet, hitting the game-winning layup:

In that game, LeVert scored 25 points on just 19 shots. He stuffed the rest of the stat sheet as well with five assists, three rebounds, three steals and a block.

LeVert is 30 years old — which is past his prime in NBA standards — but it seems clear he has more than a few good years left in him as a professional basketball player.

Duncan Robinson heating up once again

Robinson has had an up-and-down season in Miami this year, but he’s currently on an emphatic “up.” In his last four games, he’s averaging nearly 18 points per game and shooting 47 percent from three.

The best of his recent performances came against LeVert’s Hawks last Wednesday. In 33 minutes, Robinson scored 24 points primarily by hitting six three-pointers. He also dished out six assists and hauled in five rebounds, all well above his season and career norms. Robinson is quietly the Heat’s fifth-highest scorer this year.

Chaundee Brown Jr. has a career night in Japan

Brown has had a whirlwind career since leaving Ann Arbor in 2021. Aside from the G-League and a brief stint in the NBA, Brown has played in Puerto Rico, Canada, France and Japan. Brown currently plays for the Kobe Storks of Japan’s B.League.

In a win over the Ehime Orange Vikings last weekend, Brown exploded for 31 points, nine rebounds and an assist in 26 minutes. He hit 6-of-9 threes and shot 65 percent from the floor. While never known as a primary scorer in college, Brown appears to have expanded his game since turning pro and is the Storks’ leading scorer (19.3 points per game).