Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson revealed that swigman Caris LeVert is looking “really good” and is “getting close” to a return.

Per Brian Lewis of the New York Post, LeVert has worked out with the team and has done 5-on-5 drills.

Caris LeVert has just played nine games for the Nets this season and has missed 23 games after undergoing surgery to repair the ligaments on his torn right thumb. However, despite Atkinson's good news, the 52-year-old coach has refused to answer whether Wednesday's practice will be LeVert's last before he returns.

“We’ll see. That’s a big one. That’ll be a bigger five-on-five group. So, we’re just getting real close,” the Nets coach said, per Greg Logan of Newsday. “We want to make sure we check all the boxes, and there are a lot of boxes to be checked. Personally, I don’t want to rush into anything. I know we need him back, but I want this to be a health long-term thing for the rest of the year.”

LeVert is averaging 16.8 points ,5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists across 31.6 minutes per game this 2019-20. The 25-year-old has been bitten by the injury bug for most of his young career, but when he's healthy, he has proven that he can be a very productive player in the NBA

As such, while Atkinson is upbeat about the impending return of LeVert, don't expect the Nets to deal with his injury hastily. He is a prized asset and Brooklyn needs him to be healthy if they want to keep their title hopes alive. After all, he's part of the core group that attracted Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to join the team this summer.