Cavs: 3 players key to their upcoming West Coast trip

Cavs key player #1: Love

I love Love. No I don’t love a few of the things he’s done as a member of the Cavs. His tossing the ball in bounds to an opponent last season, allowing the player to score, only added to the disdain many have for Love’s game. But he also has demonstrated a great deal of patience and understanding over the past four seasons minus his previous talented teammates, including one LeBron James.

He has stuck around with the Cavaliers. I know not all of that is because he seemingly loves playing on a very subpar young team. But he’s here, so let’s try and embrace the moment.

He’s coming off the bench. He’s costing the Cavs $31 million this season. But his talents are important to this team’s progress, especially now. Playing in a second team role will have Love taking the lead in managing the group that is out on the floor. If Rubio is coming off the bench again in the future, once Garland gets healed from his ankle injury, than Rubio and Love will do well together. They played together in Minnesota and that chemistry could be seen easily in that season opener at Memphis.

Let’s say Rubio stays in as a starter and Garland returns first coming off the bench, well Love and Garland are very familiar with one another having been starters the previous three seasons.

Love’s role is reduced, however, he still has been adding more and more in each game so far. He only got 17 minutes against the Grizzlies but got four points, four assists and three rebounds. In the home game against the Hornets he got more minutes at 23 and added six points and an impressive 11 boards. He got another 23 minutes in the win against the Hawks, scored 12 points, added six boards and three assists and finally hit his first three-pointer the other night.

His veteran leadership and coming off the bench to counter the opponents’ second-teamers will be a big difference-maker in these games over the next 14 days. Love can shoot and score in bunches quickly.

If he can be consistent in scoring 12-15 points in the coming weeks, then this new Wine and Gold team will be winning some games.