The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Love ready to step up, take command
The Big Three that led the Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA championship has been reduced to a determined, albeit Fragile One.
Kevin Love saw Kyrie Irving traded to the Celtics in August 2017 and saw LeBron James leave in free agency to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers 11 months later, but Love decided to stick around and sign a four-year $120 million contract extension. Now Love is The Man for the Cavaliers and Coach Tyronn Lue, and he relishes the challenge.
“In my 11th year, I feel like I’ve seen a lot, I’ve done a lot and I’ve been prepared for this moment,” Love said after practice Oct. 15 in Independence. “Hopefully, I can step up in that role, not just on the floor, but off the floor being a leader.
“I’m really looking to help other guys. I’m looking forward to facilitating again, whether it be that full-court pass, getting guys into 3-on-2 or 2-on-1 situations or even in the half court in our elbow action. I’m excited for all of that.”
The Cavaliers went to the NBA Finals the last four years, but that was with James in charge. Now most observers expect the Cavs to sink like a boulder. The over-under betting line for the Cavaliers in Las Vegas is 31.5 games.
A “let’s prove everybody wrong” mentality pervades the Cavaliers as they get set to open their 201819 season on Oct. 17 in Toronto, and it all centers on Love.
Opponents are going to pound Love under the boards and lean on him to wear him down to take him out of games. Those opponents who used to worry about James first will now concentrate on neutralizing Love as a passer and shooter.
Coach Tyronn Lue wants Love to respond to the treatment sure to come by getting nasty.
“When he plays mad and plays like he’s the best player on the floor, sometimes you do have to piss him off a little bit to get under his skin,” Lue said.
“I’m really looking to help other guys. I’m looking forward to facilitating again, whether it be that full-court pass, getting guys into 3-on-2 or 2-on-1 situations or even in the half court in our elbow action.” Kevin Love
“Then he’ll do some great things. He’ll look at the bench and cuss you out and talk stuff back. That’s Kevin at his best. We’ll see if we can get that early this year.”
Love, acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves in the summer of 2014, played 75 of 82 games his first year in Cleveland and 77 the next season. But he was limited to 60 games in 2016-17 because of a knee injury and 59 games last season because of a broken hand. He played in only 18 games
with the Timberwolves in 2012-13 because his right hand was broken on two separate occasions. He has also dealt with back issues.
The Cavaliers were 4-23 in games James did not play the last four seasons. That record should be an indication of how important it is for Love to stay healthy for the Cavaliers to have any chance of success this season.
“This summer, more than any time in my career, I really focused on taking care of my body and making sure that everything was right,” Love said. “There are going to be times throughout the season where there
are going to be aches and pains, but I think that’s another thing I’ve learned, this being my 11th year, is really how to manage that.
“I just tried to get back to my biomechanics and movement in my body this year so that I freed up some of my hips and my back so I could really run with these guys because I knew we were going to be a running team.”
For whatever reason, Love was blamed any time things went wrong for the Cavs over the last four years.
Lue last season repeatedly said the criticism is unfair.
Love has averaged 10 rebounds and 17.1 points a game in his four seasons with the Cavaliers, and that was while playing second fiddle to James or third fiddle to James and Irving until Irving was traded last season.
Now the focus will be totally on Love. Lue is confident Love is up to the task.
“Being the No. 1 option, a lot of responsibility comes with making your teammates better,” Lue said. “He’s capable of doing that with his passing ability, his ability to demand and command double teams, so we’re going to need him to score the basketball and rebound, but also make team- mates better.” The adventure is about to begin.