Caris LeVert had been a revelation so far this young season, by far the Nets’ best player. He’s essentially carried Brooklyn and earned the nickname “Baby Max” in the locker room. But on Monday, we got our first look at what happens when LeVert struggles, and it was ugly.
It’s no coincidence that the first time LeVert had a poor game, the Nets got crushed 115-96 in the rematch with the Knicks before 19,221 at the Garden. Brooklyn had beaten the Knicks 107-105 in their first meeting this season on Oct. 19.
“This is the next level of becoming a great player in this league, to do it consistently,” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said.