The last time anyone saw Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Caris LeVert on a basketball court, it certainly didn't look like he was going to be suiting up again anytime soon.
Alas, fast-forward just under three months after a horrific-looking injury, and LeVert was already back on the court in front of Nets fans, competing for a team that finds themselves in the thick of a playoff push.
Needless to say, Brooklyn fans were appreciative of getting LeVert back into the fold and gave him a standing ovation.
Prior to the injury, LeVert was performing at essentially an All-Star pace, averaging 18.4 points per game on 47.5 percent shooting overall. He came off the bench Friday for the first time this season, having previously started all 14 contests he had appeared in. He gets to join an actual All-Star in D'Angelo Russell, who has taken on the brunt of the offensive load in LeVert's absence. There is still over two months to play in the regular season, but the duo certainly cannot rule out both finishing the year averaging better than 20 points per game. (Russell entered the night averaging a team-high 19.8 PPG.)
Getting back a scorer of LeVert's caliber is a boon for the Nets regardless, but it takes on added meaning when weighing the loss of Spencer Dinwiddie who is currently sidelined due to a right thumb injury. How quickly LeVert is able to ramp up his minutes total remains to be seen, but the fact that he has fast-tracked his recovery up to this point only bodes well for his long-term outlook.