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Cleveland Cavaliers: Kevin Love is putting the big back in stretch big

By Nathan Beighle

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 2: Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies on December 2, 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 - DECEMBER 2: Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies on December 2, 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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The Cleveland Cavaliers have been playing phenomenal as of late, and it might be because of Kevin Love and how he has excelled at center.

After his initial move to the permanent starting center, which in turn sent Tristan Thompson to the second unit, Kevin Love has finally turned back the clocks and helped the Cleveland Cavaliers amp up their play.

It’s almost like Kevin Love has found his home again. His numbers, besides his volume scoring, resemble that of his MVP-quality days in Minnesota. He’s returned to his dominance in the low post which has, in turn, helped his shooting game become even more dangerous.

Love’s 19.3 points per game are the most since his arrival in Cleveland. One reason for that is his uptick in free throws. Over the last two seasons, Love has slowly increased his free throw attempts per game, and this season, he’s shooting 5.6 per game, which is also the most since his arrival in Cleveland. On top of shooting 5.6 free throws per game, Love is shooting 87% from the line, a career high.

The Cavs are 31 games in the season, and Love has already drawn 52 shooting fouls. He’s on pace for drawing 137 shooting fouls, which would be on track with his numbers from his Minnesota days. Love is forcing the issue, and it’s working.

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While forcing the issue is a huge key to drawing fouls, where Love catches and shoots his shots is even more important. Love, who started his career without a reliable three-point shot, has developed into one of the best stretch bigs in the NBA.

However, over the last two seasons, Love has shot far too many shots from outside. Exactly 44.9% of Love’s shots over the last seasons have come from outside. This season, Love has flashed back to his Minnesota days in that aspect also. That is, Love has been shooting 61% of his shots from two-point range and 27.9% from within three feet, both of which mirror his numbers from Minnesota. He’s been incredibly successful from two-point range also, making a career-high 52.5% of his shots within the arc.

Oh, and that three-point shot that the Cavaliers developed in Love has certainly paid off. He’s shooting a career-high 38% from downtown, which has been a huge benefit for the Cavs.

Since Love is a dominant rebounder, grabbing 10.3 per game, he’s been able to successfully be the Cavs center. That ability has forced the Cavs to be able to exploit mismatches all over the court offensively. Those mismatches have helped Love score consistently and efficiently. Love has scored over 10 points in all but two games this season. On top of that, he has his highest offensive rating since the 2010-2011 season in which he actually won the NBA’s most improved award.

Kevin Love has been on top of his game lately, and he’s been a crucial part of the Cavaliers 23-8 start. The Cavs have won 18 of their last 19 games, and Love has averaged 20 points per game in the eighteen that he’s played in. Kevin Love has filled the shoes of Kyrie Irving perfectly, and the Cavaliers should continue to force the ball down low to him.

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This season, Love has definitely put the big back in stretch big!