As things stand right now, Kevin Love still hasn’t managed to fit absolutely perfectly into the Cleveland Cavaliers offense. He has spent most of the season trying to locate the best role for him, finding that tough while Kyrie Irving and LeBron James started to mesh quickly and leave Love behind them in a cloud of wine and gold dust.
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Love never seemed to be able to get comfortable anywhere. He floated around the perimeter most of the time, simply looking to spot up. Other times (rare times) he’d post up and try to get some baskets that way, but with James and Irving handling the ball so much, penetrating opposing defenses and kicking it back out at a breakneck pace, Love didn’t get his hands on the ball much at all. In addition, the paint would get clogged when he was playing next to Tristan Thompson or Timofey Mozgov.
Recently, though, things have been looking up. Love has started to appear more comfortable in the team offense. He seems to be developing a nice chemistry with LeBron, often skirting to the corners where is often left open for three when defenses converge on James’ train-like charges to the rim.
He’s been taking those shots with improved confidence and making more of them. That’s really the difference here. Love is finally just beginning to make the shots he missed earlier in the season. Perhaps that is due to him realizing that things aren’t going to get any better for him otherwise. If he keeps playing poorly, his own teammates will look for him less.
Oh, and there’s the contract thing. This season hasn’t exactly been a booster for Love’s case as a max player. David Blatt can tell you that.
Still, you’ve got to start somewhere and Love’s done that. When you join a team with two other high profile guys and a bunch of pieces looking to win a title, you’ve got to sacrifice. Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade did it for the Miami Heat during James’ reign there. Both of them had different games before the trio became the Heatles. Now Love’s got to try and do it to the same extent.
Focusing on what works is the most important thing, especially with the playoffs so close that clubs can almost taste them. And what works for Love is that he can rebound, draw opposing big men from the paint and shoot jumpers.
No more resisting. It’s time to sacrifice. It’s time to win.
It’s understandably a tough thing to ask a young player to sacrifice so much when his game is so versatile. Love really can do it all offensively. Drop him back on another bad team and he’d be putting up Minnesota numbers all over again.
He knows he’s really, really good. It’s hard when it feels like you’re throwing away aspects of your game that you’ve always had and been able to use on a daily basis. It won’t feel fair. And maybe it isn’t.
But if you want to win and win big, then you need to sacrifice. That doesn’t mean forgetting about said aspects of your game completely, but stowing them away until the right moment comes along in which you can use them to your advantage.
You know, like Link in The Legend of Zelda. How does he fit all of that stuff in his pockets …?
Over his last nine games, Love is averaging 17.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 44.3 percent shooting from the field, 44.8 percent shooting from downtown and 79.3 percent from the free throw line in 33.1 minutes per game.
Prior to that stretch, he’d been shooting 42.9 percent from the floor and a measly 34.1 percent from long range.
Wilt Chamberlain was one of the greatest players of all-time. He only won two championships. Why? Because he was all about stats. All about what he could do. He was extraordinary putting up numbers, but he wasn’t a winner.
Love joined forces with Kyrie and LeBron to win. To do so he’s going to have to forget his pride, forget how everyone seems to be ignoring his ability and forget the stat sheets.
Greatness is beginning to shine through the cracks in Cleveland, and Love will be the one to expand the light. Or hinder it.
Next: NBA: 50 Greatest Players Of All Time
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