Kevin Love Needs to Step Up

Kevin Love hasn’t been himself as of late. In order for the Cleveland Cavaliers to have a chance in the finals, he must step up his game.

In his first start since suffering a concussion in Game 3 of the NBA finals, Kevin Love looked to be a shell of himself, tallying two points and three rebounds in 33 minutes. The lack of production from the former all-star didn’t affect the outcome of the game, as the tandem of Kyrie Irving and LeBron James combined for 82 points in a historic performance.

With Draymond Green being suspended for Game 5, it seemed as if guys like Love and Channing Frye would benefit the most from not having to face up against Green’s quickness and all-around perimeter defense.

“He takes a lot of away against a guy like me and Channing — guys at the perimeter,’’ Love said before the game, per the nypost. “They do a great job of guarding the perimeter as a team. He’s very dynamic on the defensive end. One of the few players who can guard 1-to-5.’’

Despite the absence of Green, Love had a lackluster performance, and Frye didn’t get a single minute of playing time.

For Love, the Game 5 win was just an opportunity for his teammates–James and Irving–to do their thing as he took the back seat.

The thing for the Cavaliers, however, is Irving and James can’t win two more games without their supporting cast, specifically Love, putting points on the board. If the Warriors have proven anything thus far, it’s that role players can change the outcome of the series in a major way, just look at Shaun Livingston and Leandro Barbosa in Game 1.

LeBron has recognized that Love needs to step up, and even addressed the issue. “We definitely need Kev to play better,” James said, per Rick Noland. “We definitely need him. He’s too big of a piece to our puzzle.”

Although Love’s efforts are unappreciated from some fans, as a GoFundMe page has been set up in hopes of raising $10 million to pay Love to sit out of Game 6, Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue said Love “did a lot of great things in Game Five,” and mentioned his points were down because of the James and Irving, and his rebounding was down because he defended the perimeter.

(Editor’s Note: Love was a +18 in 33 minutes on the floor in Game 5, only Kyrie was better (+20).)

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Love has shown he can respond to adversity in the playoffs, as he scored 25 and 20 points in Games 5 and 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals after averaging 11.5 points in the previous four games. So far in the finals, Love has averaged a dismal seven points and 4.8 rebounds on 37 percent from the field and 28 percent from deep, numbers that simply won’t suffice if the Cavaliers want to hoist their first ever Larry O’Brien trophy.

In order to get Love going offensively, the Cavaliers must consider getting him a few extra touches in the post, and hope he connects on a couple before firing from deep. While doing so, however, they must be careful not to force-feed him in a way that disrupts the flow of their offense. Finding that equilibrium may be tough, but will ultimately pay off in the grand scheme of things if they manage to do so.

The Cavaliers are just one win away from forcing a Game 7, and need Love to step up more than ever.

Do you think Kevin Love needs to AND will step up in Game 6?