Can the Cleveland Cavaliers rely on Kevin Love?
In his ten seasons, Cleveland Cavaliers star forward Kevin Love has undergone two surgeries and suffered 22 different injuries. Is there any reason to suspect that Love doesn’t tack on a few more this year?
While the All-Star forward has played in 82.6% of his regular season games as a Cavalier, he has also been plagued by a plethora of similar injuries.
These fractures, concussions, and spasms may cause Love to miss significant time on a Cavs team that will desperately need him.
Love is pain
Love’s hands, knee and brain have been the most abused body parts throughout his career.
As a member of the Timberwolves in 2013, he fractured two bones in his shooting hand. After undergoing surgery, Love played in only 18 games that season.
In January of this year, he suffered a fracture on his left hand. In April, he partially tore a ligament in his thumb. Many worried he would be forced to have another hand surgery, but he avoided it.
In 2017, he had surgery on his left knee. This saw him out for about six weeks.
Most recently, Kevin Love missed game seven against the Celtics in the Conference Finals to follow concussion protocol after colliding with Jayson Tatum. Only a few months before, he took an elbow to the face while playing against the Miami Heat. The blow dislodged his front tooth, and he left the game with concussion-like symptoms.
Yikes. pic.twitter.com/dUxYJegjae
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 28, 2018
What this means going forward with Love
Following Kevin Love’s recent four-year/$120-million extension, many have wondered if the Cavs will make the playoffs, if they should be tanking, or what Love will look like in the final year of his deal. But in doing this, they are brushing over the question of Love’s durability.
As the newly appointed “best player” on a team that wants to compete for the playoffs while full of intriguing and misfit talent, he will be relied on to get the most from the roster. By committing to him for the long term, the Cavs bank on Love to remain a double-double threat throughout much of the deal.
In many ways, he is a stabilizing factor to a team that sputtered out of control the last time LeBron left in 2010-11.
However, if he is plagued by more injuries, he may make the Cavs anything but stable.