Blueprint For Cavs Big Three Begins With Lots of Love

The importance of Kevin Love is often understated and overlooked. Yet he’s the fulcrum from which the Cleveland Cavaliers perform the ultimate balancing act between two of the other greatest players in the NBA, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. The difference between the playing styles of LeBron and Kyrie are easy to see, the difference between deflating balks with dunks and having a little razzle dazzle to precede a dangerous pullup from the perimeter or midrange. Between being the one to make all the right passes, to the one to take all the shots needed to win. The one playing outstanding all around-defense versus the one who may get blown by consistently with matador defense.

The drama behind the scenes has been noticed, the personal battle between LeBron and Kyrie, between playing winning basketball and dreaming of the same things while recognizing the moment to only worrying about what’s in your control and not putting the pressure of a championship on your shoulders throughout an entire season, for every season.

LeBron and Kyrie are hands down the most diametrically opposed duo in the NBA, binary opposites. We forget the constant bickering and arguing of the Cavaliers from a few months ago. Most point to the removal of David Blatt and the promotion of Tyronn Lue as a reason for the enhanced harmony. They’re right, but what makes them right?

Since Lue took over, the Cavaliers playing style has been defined and that has been essentially due to one factor: defined roles. LeBron — go inside. be smart, take what the defense gives you, play aggressive defense on the ball and while roaming as a free safety, J.R. — shoot and play aggressive on-ball defense, Thompson — rebound, switch, defend, screen, catch an alley or other passes by the rim, Kyrie — do you but don’t forget the mission and to move the ball around, Love — play so aggressively on offense you score the most points, because as the friend of Kyrie he’ll accept you scoring so much as a gameplan more than the gameplan of “listen to LeBron”.

There is truly a Big Three in Cleveland. Love, like Chris Bosh proved pre- and post-LeBron, is a versatile offensive weapon every team should take seriously. When playing aggressive, he proves that. Avoiding contact in less than frequent drives to the paint isn’t aggressive. Not being aggressive leads to Kevin Love being ineffective and leaves the Cavaliers on a King James-Uncle Drew see-saw that teeters on the edge of collapse.

There might be many games to exemplify the difference between the production of the Cavs Big Three when Love is being aggressive and Love is being passive but the most relevant are the most recent. In Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Kevin Love was noticeably far less involved and aggressive on both offense and defense than he was in Game 5.

In Games 1 and 2 he was efficient, and aggressive to an extent. He was scoring around his season average but wasn’t half the rebounder. He often out himself in ‘no man’s land’ on defense and moved as if his feet were stuck in mud. In Games 3 and 4, his lack of aggressiveness and efficiency on offense was damning. He shot 5-23 from the field. He made 3 total threes in two games even though they shot 40 in each and he’s a staple player in their perimeter offense. They weren’t even ignoring him, they were feeding him.

The Cavaliers got beat handily as they played 4 on 5 defensively yes, but their offense was inconsistent, not a well-oiled machine as it had been. LeBron and Kyrie put up enough points to at least keep it close with the Raptors in Game 4, but were playing with a Big Two instead of a Big Three down the stretch, largely to nobody’s fault but Kevin. But in Game 3, you really can see how things get ugly. Kyrie’s renegade style of play will leave him with Kobe-like duds. LeBron, ever cognizant of the right play, chooses not to try to take over many-a-game to the frustration of his fans, and though it’s hard to argue against, each game to the fan seems to matter enough for him to try to take over. Kyrie is there but if he’s ice cold? The burden on each member of the Big Three to win is lessened or increased by the production of the others. Kevin’s job is the hardest but easiest. LeBron and Kyrie demand 4 eyes at a time. Kevin must take advantage of that and with his talent that should be the easiest part. He should be able to draw multiple defenders himself. The hard part for the superstar power forward is providing the type of play that is similar to walking a tightrope across skyscrapers, a high wire balancing act that makes LeBron and Kyrie think about Love, and not themselves.

In Game 5, The Big Three of the ‘Believeland’ Cavaliers combined for 71 points. Love had a team-leading 25, and LeBron and Kyrie had 23 each. Love took 10 shots and was an efficient 8-10, utilizing his talents to overmatch his individual matchup, after the attention drawn by LeBron and Kyrie. Those two, took 17 shots each. Love was 3-4 from three. LeBron and Irving were a combined 3-4 from three. They all got to the line but Love was 6-6, indicative of his aggressiveness in both getting to the rim and through his defender. You look at the offensive execution and say that this should be the blueprint moving forward, shots from all levels from all players, constant assists including assists to each other. Though we all know LeBron is the quarterback of the offense, and he had 8 assists, an aggressive Love chipped in a couple more, and Kyrie, who was looking for his shot, still chipped in three. Together they accounted for more than just about as many points as the Raptors put up as a team, and more than half of their team assists, despite not playing in the fourth quarter.

Defensively, they accounted for six steals with three by Kyrie, and four blocks, with two by LeBron. About half of their team totals in those categories for this game. In Game 4, the team had five total steals and two total blocks. In Game 3, the entire team had seven steals and five blocks collectively. In Game 2, a blowout win, the entire posted six steals and four blocks. In Game 1, another blow out win the entire team collectively had nine steals and four blocks. Needless to say, they showcased their great individual talents on the defensive side as well. Kyrie with the quick hands from his alert stance, LeBron playing the passing lanes, hawking down defenders, trapping them, and taking airspace away from the ballhandler when guarding on the perimeter, and Love being in good position, showing supreme focus.

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When the Cavs’ Big Three play like this, the team is nearly unstoppable. With a primary supporting cast that includes dependable veterans like Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson, and the core from last year that consisted of Matthew Dellavedova, Iman Shumpert, and a constantly improving J.R. Smith, the Cavaliers have the best chance to win it all based on team talent. As far as talent goes, it will be the consistency of the team’s Big Three that determines how far they go. Mainly though, it will be Love’s ability to be the focal point and lightning rod for this Cavaliers team and produce under immense pressure that determines how hard that path is. Despite his designation on the bottom rung of the totem, Love holds the keys to the Cavaliers offensive and defensive production being insurmountable.

Have the Cavs found a blueprint for their Big Three?