Cleveland Cavaliers: Is Kevin Love a long term fit with CLE?

#3: Love can still provide valuable perimeter shooting and rebounding for the Cavs

Love is not an intimidating post presence anymore and frankly shouldn’t try and be one at this point. His body may not be able to hold up if he is forced into that play style once more. With that said, Love still provides two very important skills to the Cavs: three-point shooting and rebounding.

Since Love has returned to the lineup (April 1st) he is averaging 13.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists and although he’s shooting just 33.3 percent from behind the arc, there is reason to believe that he could start trending upward towards his career average of 36.9 percent.

Love has gone seven-of-17 from range in his last two outings (41.2 percent) and hasn’t been shy in taking that shot. That is a welcome addition to a starting lineup featuring two players (Isaac Okoro, Jarrett Allen) who aren’t reliable from outside the three-point line.

The presence of Allen has taken much of the burden of rebounding off of Love but that doesn’t mean that he cannot provide opportunistic rebounding when the time calls. Love isn’t nimble and explosive enough at 32 years old to battle inside for offensive rebounds every possession but he has always played with a preternatural sense for where the ball will careen off the rim and has good positioning.

These skills will always translate to good rebounding numbers and should keep Love on the court as long as he is healthy.

Love may not be the nightly double-double threat that he used to be, but he should remain a part of Cleveland’s plans, at least until his current contract runs its course after the 2022-23 season.