As the NBA prepares to start the final stretch of the regular season, several former Michigan Wolverines are heating up., including Caris LeVert on his brand new team:
NBA All-Star Weekend came and went with a snooze, as expected. The annual pick-up game had a new format but was uninspiring. However, just prior to the break, several former Michigan Wolverines had excellent showings.
Caris LeVert records a season-high with his new team
Since being traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Atlanta Hawks , things have been going well for Caris LeVert. After just getting his feet wet in his first game, he has put his foot on the gas pedal for his second and third games. In New York last Wednesday, he notched a double-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds (season-high), seven assists and three blocks.
I don’t expect LeVert to start for the rebuilding Hawks, but this is a pivotal stretch for determining his future outlook as a professional. So far, so good.
Poole records another 40+ point outing
Jordan Poole continues to be a ruthless scorer on a lifeless Washington Wizards team. With Kyle Kuzma shipped out of town at the trade deadline, Poole’s already huge usage is expected to increase even further. On Wednesday in an overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers, Poole poured in 42 points, 18 coming from beyond the three-point line.
This was Poole’s third 40+ point outing of the season, bringing his scoring average up to 21.2 points per game. This is the highest average of his career and is aided primarily by his best shooting percentage from deep of his career (37.1%).
Jett Howard sees the most minutes of his career
In the Orlando Magic’s final game before the All-Star break, they defeated Moussa Diabate’s Charlotte Hornets, 102-86. Jett Howard tallied six points, five assists, two rebounds and two steals. Notably, those stats came in 26 minutes of game action. Prior to that game, Howard had never played more than 25 minutes in any one game. This was also the fifth-most minutes of any Magic player during that game.
Could it be a sign of things to come for the young guard? Only time will tell.