Caris LeVert’s ascension in Brooklyn had been one of the NBA’s feel-good stories prior to his gruesome leg injury on Monday night. For a franchise that has floundered to the bottom of the East since the disastrous Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett pick dump, LeVert represented a new era and the Nets’ first potential All-Star since 2013-14. Brooklyn held the No. 8 seed in the East entering Monday night, and LeVert had been the leading man.
But any hopes of postseason basketball in New York’s most-populous borough are dashed if LeVert is out for significant time. Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen and Joe Harris will continue to battle on a nightly basis—a tribute to the culture built by GM Sean Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson—but without LeVert, the road to the playoffs is too steep.