Cavs: With Collin Sexton banged up, Kevin Love is more crucial

Collin Sexton has continued to be a key contributor for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and on the season, has led them in bucket-getting once again with 24.5 points per outing.

In his past five games active, he’s had 27.6 points per game, too, and his all-around scoring polish is making a difference. Game-to-game what he’s been able to provide, and him hitting 52.0 percent of his three-point attempts per outing in that last span has aided him in getting to his other scoring areas, too.

Now, unfortunately for Sexton, who had missed his past two games because of a left groin strain before those last five games active, as a side note, he again appears to be banged up, to an extent.

According to a report from Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com on Saturday, Sexton ended up suffering a concussion in Friday’s loss at the Charlotte Hornets.

Per Fedor, he reportedly didn’t feel the effects of that until Cleveland left Charlotte, and we’ll have to see as far as a potential timetable. But Sexton missed Sunday’s loss at the Washington Wizards and I’d think he could miss other games this week.

With that in mind, it’s evident to me that Kevin Love is ever more crucial with Sexton banged up.

Love is more crucial for the Cavs with Sexton banged up.

As we hit on, Sexton’s production is so important for Cleveland, but Love is obviously a significant player for them as well, and we know what Darius Garland’s scoring and playmaking means to the club. That will be especially key with Sexton banged up as well, and I’d think with him potentially being out for other games this coming week with concussions being tricky.

Love, meanwhile, has had his share of injury issues himself this season, and that involved him missing most of the campaign because of right calf injury complications. Love has been back for a few weeks, though, and does appear to be more comfortable, by and large.

The problem for him has been that although he’s getting his perimeter shots up, which has been good to see, after a few games in which he was back and looked to be getting it rolling, he hasn’t been his usual self from deep.

He’s knocked in just 34.3 percent from three-point land in his 17 games active in 2020-21, and in his past nine games coming into Sunday’s L at the Wizards, in 26.3 minutes per outing, he was hitting just 2.7 of his 8.1 deep attempts, a 32.9 percent clip. Albeit did hit two of three from there on Sunday, on the plus side.

Love needs to keep being efficient when the looks are there for him in upcoming games, and in particular, with Sexton banged up.

Granted, Love still likely getting his legs under him hasn’t aided him in getting in-rhythm, but he seems mostly fine now and is getting plenty of high quality looks from Garland and others.

Love has had 14.5 points per game otherwise in those last 10 games, and has had 7.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest, and his presence on the floor still is very meaningful from a spacing and pick-and-pop attention standpoint.

Albeit with Sexton banged up, and whether or not he is able to go on Monday’s game at the Toronto Raptors in Tampa Bay, for example, Love being more impactful as a shooter and more productive is paramount for Cleveland.

And plus, that’s even more so the case with Taurean Prince, who had had it rolling as a rotational shooter/shot creator, out for the rest of the season because of ankle surgery to come for him reportedly soon.

Moreover, hopefully the concussion isn’t too much of a lingering issue for Sexton, but those are very tricky and the Cavs can’t rush him back anyway and their play-in chances being far-fetched.

We’ll see on the potential timetable for Sexton/whether or not he misses other upcoming games; either way, Love needs to be efficient game-to-game shooting-wise.