Kevin Love’s change to the center position has been vital to the Cavaliers’ success this season. But just how good has Love been?
When Tyronn Lue said the Kevin Love was going to have his best season as a Cavalier this year, he wasn’t lying. The Cavaliers are in the midst of a twelve-game win streak, and Love is a big reason why.
This season, Love is averaging 19.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, all while shooting a career-high 47.2% and a career second-best 38.3% from three-point range. To add on, Love is also shooting a career-high 89.8% from the charity stripe, while getting there at least 5.7 times, which is his most since joining the Cavs. He’s doing this all while playing just 29.3 minutes.
Throughout Cleveland’s twelve-game win streak Love has been exceptional. He’s averaging 20.8 points and 10.4 rebounds. In addition, Love is shooting 51.2% from the field and 40.3% from three-point range. Love’s aggressive play is allowing him to get to the free throw line a little more than five times a game, and his efficiency at the free throw line has been incredible as he’s shooting 90.2% from there.
Plays like this show just how aggressive Love has been playing this season. Love follows up the missed shot, fights for the rebound, makes the shot, and goes to the free throw line.
Not only has Love been playing aggressive, he’s playing with the confidence Cavalier fans have been waiting for. This play is an example of just how much confidence Love is playing with. Love notices the shot-clock winding down, and with two people on him, shoots a fadeaway shot that goes in.
In fact, the past four games have been Love’s best stretch of basketball so far this season and possibly as a Cavalier. The past four games, Love is averaging 26.8 points and 12.3 rebounds, while shooting 56.1% from the field, 51.9% from three, and 87.9% from the free throw line. In this stretch, Love is shooting the ball 14.3 times a night, making 8.0. He is shooting 6.8 threes, making 3.5 of them. And Love is shooting about 8.7 free throws, making 7.3 of them.
Those stats perfectly display the amount of aggressiveness and confidence the 6’10” center is playing with.
All in all, Kevin Love and the Cleveland Cavaliers look rather unstoppable right now. The team is playing its best basketball right now, as is Kevin Love, and they’re playing their best at the best time. As players begin to return from injury, the team will only play at a higher level than it already is.
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However, this must not be forgotten. The main key to the Cavs’ high level of play is the dominance of Kevin Love.