It's about time Kevin Love got a thread
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 9:20 pm
There's been quite a few threads made about the Cavaliers and the so called "surprising" run they've had this year. Yeah, I guess even I am a bit surprised by it. The main thing I'm surprised by is how well they've managed to rebound from losing Ricky Rubio, arguably the biggest surprise the Cavaliers had this year and one of the main factors in their turnaround. They just got done blowing out the defending champs on the set of a back to back, after just recently beating Brooklyn and having a 6 game road trip where they were 5-1. They've already topped the regular season record they had last year and we're not even at the all star break yet. That points to a massive turnaround on their end.
But the thing is, I've seen multiple reasons be given for this. Darius Garland having a breakout year (which he is), Evan Mobley doing a great job adjusting to the NBA (which he has), Jarrett Allen becoming a dominant center (which should have surprised no one but for some reason it did), and of course Rubio.
After what just happened with the Bucks however, I think it's about time we start giving Kevin Love the praise he deserves.
This is a guy who has taken on so much **** during his time since coming to Cleveland, literally from the very beginning. I don't know if people remember this or not, but there were a LOT of Cleveland fans who didn't want Wiggins to be traded for him. And trade rumors didn't take very long to start happening. In fact, those rumors started in Love's very first season with the team. In the one NBA Finals that he ends up winning, he barely gets to play in it due to a concussion (although he still got his moment when he locked up Curry so I'm happy he at least got that). And even after winning the title, and having a pretty damn good year the following season and in 2018 as well, he still took **** from the fanbase.
(I swear there's a point to all of this, just bare with me. )
Then LeBron leaves and Love elects to stay with Cleveland, and he signs a massive contract in the process. I'm pretty sure his thought process at the time was that he still felt that he was capable of leading the team to a playoff run and that they would stay competitive. But then reality set in and that simply did not happen. The last three years have consisted of Love having incredibly inconsistent production, multiple injuries, and on court incidents that made the fanbase call for his head.
I mean seriously, this just happened last year.
I honestly felt bad for the guy. You could tell he was frustrated beyond comprehension, and to do something like that? The man reached his breaking point. And I couldn't help but think that his days in Cleveland were done.
And now here we are.
The man isn't even a starter anymore. And yet he's been one of the biggest reasons for their turnaround. The man just had a 25 point, 9 rebound performance against the defending champs, coming off of a 20 point 11 rebound performance the previous night. And the thing is, that wasn't even the best game of this season for him.
Kevin Love this year as the sixth man is averaging 14.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 2.1 APG, on 44% shooting from the field and 40% shooting from 3. He has had nine 20 point games, and one 30 point game. To add to that, he had a five game stretch where he scored at least 20 points in each game, with that 30 point game I just mentioned happening in that span. He ended up winning Eastern Conference player of the week during that period. To go along with all of this, he has had seven double doubles.
But above all else, the biggest thing I am noticing is that Kevin Love's game has changed drastically. All of a sudden, it no longer feels like he is coasting anymore. He's not just there collecting his money. He's not having mental breakdowns on the sidelines. He's out there having fun again. He's being supportive of his teammates. He's putting in the most work that I've seen in a very long time. It's like he's found his motivation to play the game of basketball again, and it's showing on the court. It's such an incredible thing to see. Has he been perfect? Of course not. There are still times where I want to dropkick him into a phone booth every time he gives up an easy basket. Some things never change and apparently, Kevin Love being a bad defender is one of them. But the big thing here is that his defense, or lack there of, isn't costing Cleveland games. It's not something teams can just take advantage of anymore. Cleveland is an elite defensive team, and when he's out there playing, there's always a Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley waiting in the paint behind him. This isn't like the LeBron days where the team as a whole was poor defensively. Those days are gone and I think a team like that is perfect for someone like Kevin Love.
This is going to be a hot take, and I understand that, but with everything that is going on right now, this needs to be said (and I will bold for emphasis):
I am starting to think that trading Kevin Love might not be the right move for Cleveland. I understand he still has a massive contract and eats up a ton of cap space, but his offense and rebounding off the bench has been huge for the Cavaliers, and without it, I seriously doubt Cleveland maintains the level of success that they are experiencing right now. Things are different now. Cleveland is not just a team trying to find its calling. They are not just trying to rebuild. They are third in the Eastern Conference. They are legitimate playoff contenders. I think not only should Kevin Love not be traded, but I'm wondering if Cleveland is starting to think that way as well.
I have to give massive props to Kevin Love for what he has managed to do this season. It's one of the most remarkable turnarounds I've ever seen. Maybe it shouldn't have come as a surprise, but at the same time, I don't necessarily think there was any reason to see this coming. All signs pointed to him being on the decline, but this is easily the best he's been since 2018. I'm happy for the guy, and he deserves to have his own thread where what he's been doing this year can be discussed in a positive matter for once.
But the thing is, I've seen multiple reasons be given for this. Darius Garland having a breakout year (which he is), Evan Mobley doing a great job adjusting to the NBA (which he has), Jarrett Allen becoming a dominant center (which should have surprised no one but for some reason it did), and of course Rubio.
After what just happened with the Bucks however, I think it's about time we start giving Kevin Love the praise he deserves.
This is a guy who has taken on so much **** during his time since coming to Cleveland, literally from the very beginning. I don't know if people remember this or not, but there were a LOT of Cleveland fans who didn't want Wiggins to be traded for him. And trade rumors didn't take very long to start happening. In fact, those rumors started in Love's very first season with the team. In the one NBA Finals that he ends up winning, he barely gets to play in it due to a concussion (although he still got his moment when he locked up Curry so I'm happy he at least got that). And even after winning the title, and having a pretty damn good year the following season and in 2018 as well, he still took **** from the fanbase.
(I swear there's a point to all of this, just bare with me. )
Then LeBron leaves and Love elects to stay with Cleveland, and he signs a massive contract in the process. I'm pretty sure his thought process at the time was that he still felt that he was capable of leading the team to a playoff run and that they would stay competitive. But then reality set in and that simply did not happen. The last three years have consisted of Love having incredibly inconsistent production, multiple injuries, and on court incidents that made the fanbase call for his head.
I mean seriously, this just happened last year.
I honestly felt bad for the guy. You could tell he was frustrated beyond comprehension, and to do something like that? The man reached his breaking point. And I couldn't help but think that his days in Cleveland were done.
And now here we are.
The man isn't even a starter anymore. And yet he's been one of the biggest reasons for their turnaround. The man just had a 25 point, 9 rebound performance against the defending champs, coming off of a 20 point 11 rebound performance the previous night. And the thing is, that wasn't even the best game of this season for him.
Kevin Love this year as the sixth man is averaging 14.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 2.1 APG, on 44% shooting from the field and 40% shooting from 3. He has had nine 20 point games, and one 30 point game. To add to that, he had a five game stretch where he scored at least 20 points in each game, with that 30 point game I just mentioned happening in that span. He ended up winning Eastern Conference player of the week during that period. To go along with all of this, he has had seven double doubles.
But above all else, the biggest thing I am noticing is that Kevin Love's game has changed drastically. All of a sudden, it no longer feels like he is coasting anymore. He's not just there collecting his money. He's not having mental breakdowns on the sidelines. He's out there having fun again. He's being supportive of his teammates. He's putting in the most work that I've seen in a very long time. It's like he's found his motivation to play the game of basketball again, and it's showing on the court. It's such an incredible thing to see. Has he been perfect? Of course not. There are still times where I want to dropkick him into a phone booth every time he gives up an easy basket. Some things never change and apparently, Kevin Love being a bad defender is one of them. But the big thing here is that his defense, or lack there of, isn't costing Cleveland games. It's not something teams can just take advantage of anymore. Cleveland is an elite defensive team, and when he's out there playing, there's always a Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley waiting in the paint behind him. This isn't like the LeBron days where the team as a whole was poor defensively. Those days are gone and I think a team like that is perfect for someone like Kevin Love.
This is going to be a hot take, and I understand that, but with everything that is going on right now, this needs to be said (and I will bold for emphasis):
I am starting to think that trading Kevin Love might not be the right move for Cleveland. I understand he still has a massive contract and eats up a ton of cap space, but his offense and rebounding off the bench has been huge for the Cavaliers, and without it, I seriously doubt Cleveland maintains the level of success that they are experiencing right now. Things are different now. Cleveland is not just a team trying to find its calling. They are not just trying to rebuild. They are third in the Eastern Conference. They are legitimate playoff contenders. I think not only should Kevin Love not be traded, but I'm wondering if Cleveland is starting to think that way as well.
I have to give massive props to Kevin Love for what he has managed to do this season. It's one of the most remarkable turnarounds I've ever seen. Maybe it shouldn't have come as a surprise, but at the same time, I don't necessarily think there was any reason to see this coming. All signs pointed to him being on the decline, but this is easily the best he's been since 2018. I'm happy for the guy, and he deserves to have his own thread where what he's been doing this year can be discussed in a positive matter for once.
