As we approach the half-way point of the season, Kevin Love has continued to struggle.
After a tough first season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kevin Love was expected to have a better second season, having had a full year with his teammates under his belt. However, three months into the season and the problems of from 2014/15 have continued to hamper the talented power forward.
With point guard, Kyrie Irving sitting out for the beginning of the season, LeBron James called Love the “focal point” of the Cavalier offense, lavishing praise on the big man who he had been relatively tough on last season. To begin the season, Love responded well to being a more integral part of the Cavalier offense.
After struggling with his shot early in the season, Love was red-hot in November putting up 19.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. Love shot the ball at an impeccable rate during the month, shooting 47.1% from the field as well as an impressive 41.3% from long range. With Irving out, Love averaged 14.7 shots per game, the most in any single month during his time as a Cavalier.
However, since the bright start, Love has cooled off considerably in almost every facet. Compared to that November month, Love shot just 37.3% from the field in December, a number which has further fallen in January where Love has shot a paltry 34.7%. Love’s three-point stroke also suffered in December, dropping to a staggering 27.1%, before rising back to 37.5% in his nine January games so far.
The difficult two months have left Love’s season averages sitting at 15.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, while his shooting percentage is a career low 41.2%, barring his injury-riddled 2012-13 season. His points per game is his lowest since his sophomore season in the league. Interestingly, his minutes per game are also at their lowest since the 2009-10 season at 32.3 minutes.
So why have Love’s shooting numbers taken such a dip since last season?
Historically speaking, Love hasn’t been an elite finisher around the basket. Per Basketball Reference, Love has shot 59.2% on field goals attempted from under 3 feet from the basket throughout his career. However, this season that number has dropped further, with Love making just over half of his shots at the basket, shooting 50.5%. Overall, Love’s field goal percentage on two point shots has dropped from 48.0% in 2014-15 to 44.9% this season, well below his career two point percentage of 47.7%.
The drop in Love’s two-point field goal percentage from last season to this one could possibly be attributed to his assisted field goals. Last season, 69.0% of Love’s two-point field goals were assisted. Comparatively, this season, that number has fallen to 60.6%. However, both figures are significantly higher than his assisted field goals from his days in Minnesota where he was required to create for himself around less talented team-mates.
Much of Love’s shooting malaise is also a result of his inability to hit open shots. According to NBA.com, during Love’s final season in Minnesota, he shot 47.8% on ‘wide open’ shots where the closest defender was over 6 feet away. In his first season in Cleveland, this number fell to just 42.7%. However, this season Love’s shooting percentage on wide open shots has fallen even further to 37.4%. Surrounded by supreme offensive talents such as LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, Love is likely to get a lot of open looks and it is paramount that he takes advantage of these shots.
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Despite Love’s shooting struggles, there is no doubt that he is a vital part of the Cavaliers’ puzzle with his ability to stretch the floor. Even if he isn’t shooting the ball well, Love’s mere presence out on the court opens up driving lanes for the likes of James and Irving, making the Cavs offense lethal. Furthermore, his proficiency in the post gives the Cavaliers a release valve if their primary ball handlers are struggling to create offense.
Kevin Love may have had a tough start to the season, but remains a supremely talented player on the offensive end, one of the most versatile for his size and position.
If the Cavaliers harbour hopes of pushing the Warriors or Spurs come June, they will need the former UCLA standout to be firing on all cylinders.