King James Gospel
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Cavs: 5 reasons fans should be pumped for next season

By Quenton S. Albertie

TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 8: Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the game against the Golden State Warriors during Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals on June 8, 2018 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 8: Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the game against the Golden State Warriors during Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals on June 8, 2018 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Reason #3

Kevin Love will get the respect he deserves

Kevin Love has already seen a shift in his public perception, with droves of fans from around the league praising his offensive skill, basketball IQ and his rebounding prowess.

However, most of the praise has been centered on his off-the-court impact as he advocates for mental health awareness and the destigmitization of discussing mental health issues in the wake of discovering he suffers from panic attacks.

After LeBron James left for Los Angeles and Love was signed to a four-year, $120 million contract extension that makes him the face of the franchise, he’ll now get a chance to prove that he’s a 20-point double-double machine whose numbers were simply affected by the sacrifice he chose to make as a featured scorer.

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Without LeBron in the post all of the time, Love will now get more touches. High and low.

Because LeBron is gone, Love will also get more shot attempts.

After feeding Love throughout the first quarter, the Cleveland Cavaliers often went away from him as the game progressed. Now, with Love as the team’s most reliable scoring threat, he’ll be fed throughout the game.

Buried in LeBron’s shadow, Love hasn’t had the chance to shine like an All-Star should since he left Minnesota in 2014 but that will change, starting next season.

Love averaged 23.5 points, 13.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in his last four seasons with Minnesota. Anything similar to those numbers and “Kevin Love, the basketball player” will be looked at a lot differently.