Cavs: Kevin Love as bench hub is a cause one can get behind

At this point, with Evan Mobley, Lauri Markkanen and Jarrett Allen set for big minutes, it’s evident that Kevin Love is destined for a smaller bench role for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

His role was rumored to be a reduced one even before that Markkanen sign-and-trade acquisition, and from a preservation perspective, that appeared to be a reasonable expectation.

Last season, Love appeared in only 25 games because of complications involving a right calf injury. He would eventually have to withdraw from playing for Team USA before the squad went to the Tokyo Olympics, essentially due to that, too. Instead of that maybe aiding Cleveland/helping to re-establish some potential trade value for him, that was seemingly kiboshed, also.

For now, though, Love does look to be healthy and based on his comments at Cavs Media Day, the buy-in from here does seem to be there, regarding the bench role/reduced role.

I understand how there’s been some visible frustration in-game from him, and I don’t dispute that, in the past two seasons, but with the young guys Cleveland has, and a former teammate in Ricky Rubio with him now, I do believe the buy-in is there from Love.

There will probably still at points be trade suggestions involving Love, as there always is, sure. Even still, it’s difficult to foresee him actually dealt any time soon; we’ll see near the 2022 trade deadline.

Anyway, with Love in a bench role, he can still be valuable for the Cavaliers, provided he can remain available. And in that sense, a cause many should get behind is Love as a bench hub offensively, with his shooting, still mid-post feel and passing acumen.

Cavs: Love as a bench hub is a cause one can get behind.

Whether it’s when Love is in there for frontcourt stretches at the 4 with Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley at the 5, and even with Lauri Markkanen some as a supersized 3, Love can still be a bench focal point.

It’s only been in preseason that we’ve seen it, but Love has shown in that role that his passing and presence as a screener can help open up Darius Garland and Ricky Rubio, for example, and of course, Love will be a key shooting target as well in his minutes.

He had five and seven points in Cleveland’s last two preseason outings before Sunday in a loss to the Indiana Pacers and a win at the Atlanta Hawks, but he’s clearly aided Cleveland’s ball movement, and his efforts have led to productive ball-swings.

It was only a preseason outing, sure, and Caris LeVert wasn’t in action, most notably, however, Love had three assists in 10 minutes on Friday, and it’s apparent that he can still be a quality secondary playmaker.

His timing and ability to hit cutters, one would imagine, will still be valuable in his minutes, even with a reduction there, and guys such as Allen, Markkanen, Mobley and Dylan Windler should from benefit that.

Additionally, as we touched on, Love, if he’s healthy, is still a knockdown catch-and-shoot guy, and his presence in that regard can help other Cavs get quality looks, which can provide a boost still.

And if Love can again stay healthy, even while that’s a big if, he still can make things happen for himself in the mid-post as a face-up guy, hit cutters or initiate ball-reversals or corner threes from there.

Anyway, what we’re getting at here is although he’s not going to likely play nearly the minutes of Mobley or Markkanen, I’d assume, Love as a bench hub is still a cause one can get behind for the Cavs.

I’m not suggesting he’ll be Garland or Rubio in that regard, but like Mobley, who had four assists in a really close L to Chicago on Sunday, Love can consistently help as a secondary playmaker and he can make those around him better. That’s if the veteran remains bought-in.