King James Gospel
Fansided

Can Kevin Love carry the Cavaliers?

By Doug Patrick

Cleveland Cavaliers Kevin Love (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Cleveland Cavaliers Kevin Love (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH – MAY 21: Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers warms up before Game Four of the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics at Quicken Loans Arena on May 21, 2018 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. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – MAY 21: Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers warms up before Game Four of the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics at Quicken Loans Arena on May 21, 2018 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. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

A Playoff Team?

Still, Love has never reached the playoffs as a number one option and there’s no guarantee that changes this next season.

In his four years with Cleveland, he has played only four games without both LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. For what it’s worth, the Cavs lost those games while Love played decently, averaging 18.7 points and 11 rebounds. But these numbers are probably from too small a sample size in an offense that limits Love.

According to the Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, Love was best on the Wolves when the ball was funneled to him at the elbow. In his final season in Minnesota, he averaged eight elbow touches per game.

Last season in Cleveland, he got only 1.6. Coach Lue did not prioritize the most effective part of his game and so Love’s scoring dropped from 26 to 17 points per game.

To maximize Love, Lue will need to revamp the offense and include more pick-and-pop type opportunities for him. These plays would cause fits for slower-footed big men in the East like Hassan Whiteside and Jabari Parker.