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Cleveland Cavaliers: The reemergence of the Minnesota Kevin Love

By Kyle Hesketh

CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 1: Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers gives high five to LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the game against the Indiana Pacers on November 1, 2017 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 1: Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers gives high five to LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the game against the Indiana Pacers on November 1, 2017 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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It looks like the ‘Minnesota’ Kevin Love, that so many Cleveland Cavaliers’ fans have been asking for, has finally come out to play.

The moment that Kevin Love was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers there were expectations from fans to media members alike for him to post similar numbers, with the Cavs, as he did with the Timberwolves. These high expectations were unrealistic and unfair; given that he joined a team with two other star players, a new coach, and a new system that looked to display his three-point shooting. Love looked uncomfortable in his new role, at first.

However, he did have a few big games in his first season with the Cavaliers, but he was never truly put in the position to score and create for others as he did with the Timberwolves as he made an uncomfortable home along the three-point line. Love was used as a perimeter threat for the first season and a half with David Blatt as the head coach for the Cavaliers, and it looked as if that trend was going to continue until Blatt was fired after a 30-11 start to the 2015-16 NBA season. Once Tyronn Lue took over, we began to see an emergence of a Kevin Love we had not seen in a while. This Kevin Love seemed more confident than ever during his time in Cleveland. This

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was around the time that Lue told Love:

"Per Cleveland.com: “You’re a bad m—–f—– too.” Lue told Cleveland.com of his message to Love. “Play like it.”"

And he did, and the Cavs won the championship that year. The following year was Love’s best season as a Cavalier averaging 19 and 11.1 and becoming an all-star for the first time as a Cavalier.

With each passing season, Love began to grow into his role as more of a shooter and scorer and less of a playmaker. Nevertheless, this season Tyronn Lue had a different idea for Kevin Love this season with the departure of Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics. In fact, Tyronn Lue said this during the first week of training camp.

"Per ESPN.com: “Kevin is going to have the best year that he’s had here,” Lue told ESPN.com this week."

The Cavaliers have gone to Love in the post and at the elbow to maximize his skill-set. For instance, in Milwaukee where Love had his best game of the year thus far. He had 32 points on 9 of 14 shooting (64.3%) and 16 free throw attempts. Love took ZERO three-point shots and instead went to work in the paint.

These are the types of games that the Cavaliers should try to get from Kevin Love every time. Because, while Love is a three-point threat, he is not solely a three-point shooter. He is an inside-out player, and once he establishes his inside game, the space outside to hit threes opens up. Take the Dallas game for example, where Love played aggressively in the post and spaced the floor as well. He finished with 29 points on 11 of 19 shooting (57.9%) and 3 of 5 from three (60%).

Furthermore, the Cavs have finally been putting Love in position to find open cutters and shooters for easy buckets. Which allows him to fully utilize his basketball IQ and playmaking abilities, rather than just as a scorer. Thus, we have begun to see a reemergence of Minnesota Kevin Love. Remember him? He averaged 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game, All-NBA honors, and All-Star starter. THAT Kevin Love is beginning to show his face, and the Cavs need him now more than ever.

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The problem is that the Cavs do not use Love like this every game. Whether that be by design or by Love not being as aggressive at times. The Cavs just are not consistent with how they use him. For Love to have his best year as a Cavalier, Tyronn Lue needs to play through him more. This can minimize the wear on LeBron, and allow Love to do what so many envisioned when he arrived in Cleveland.