Cleveland Cavaliers: How Kevin Love’s improved play spurred win streak

The Cleveland Cavaliers are on their longest winning streak of the season at five games. Kevin Love’s tweaked playing style might be why.

Kevin Love must have looked at the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ recent stretch of games with a sense of trepidation. He was about was about to run the gauntlet of who’s-who among NBA centers; the Los Angeles Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan, the Charlotte Hornets’ Dwight Howard and the Detroit Pistons’ Andre Drummond.

That’s about as daunting a test as you’ll find in the ever small-balling NBA. And with the Cavs mightily slumping, just 5-7 on Dec. 11, “The Land” needed their leaned-out big man to perform, as one famous politician likes to say, “bigly.”

But Love, who is lighter than some NBA small forwards, battled bravely in route to posting one of his best five-game stretches of the season. A crucial cog in the Cavs’ ongoing win streak, Love averaged a double-double at 20.2 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Finally, he proved coach Tyronn Lue wise for switching him to center prior to the season.

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His performance raised his season averages to 18.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Three times he scored 20-plus points, and three times he notched double-double. His 52.7 field goal percentage during the streak wasn’t too shabby either.

By contrast, take a look at his counterparts: Drummond scored just eight points with eight rebounds against the Cavs, Howard had just eight points with five boards, and Dirk Nowitzki got just five rebounds against Love. Much maligned for his defense, it appears the Cavs’ most important post player is toughening up down low.

It was a welcomed sight, especially with Tristan Thompson sidelined by injury since early November. Besides the aged and thinly framed Channing Frye, Love is their only reliable option in the post. Maybe more importantly, Love finally looks like he feels comfortable with the overturned Cavs roster.

"“It just felt like us,” Love said after the team’s recent win against the Pistons to Cleveland.com. “There weren’t any lapses, there weren’t any let-ups throughout the game.”"

With a cornucopia of injuries, Cleveland needs a healthy Love to perform like their No. 2 superstar. He must be a reliable weapon as opposed to a hot-and-cold scorer. His must be a plug on defense rather than a hole.

If he continues being a reliable option, Love is a matchup nightmare. Compared to other bigs, he’s fleet-footed with the ability to carve out openings following offensive rebounds. Here’s a perfect couple of examples against the Pistons:

In multiple clips, Love snags the ball in the low post, takes one quick power dribble and he’s already created enough space for an easy shot. There are few post players in the league with that elusiveness and touch. In part, it’s how he dominated for years as Minnesota’s go-to scorer, when Love would often get up 13 or 14 2-point field goal attempts per game. He’s averaging about seven or eight since coming to Cleveland.

Potentially, it’s coach Lue’s decision to move Love from the forward to the center position that has paid dividends. After struggling to adjust during an early season test run, Love has flourished since Thompson injured himself in early November, reopening the center spot in the starting lineup.

Love responded by tweaking his playing style, specifically his shot selection. He’s shooting only 4.6 3-pointers per game, his lowest since the 2010-11 season, and only 4.2 per game during the Cavs’ five-game winning streak.

His field goal percentage is at a near career high of 46.1 percent, but as mentioned, 52.7 percent during the Cavs streak. So let’s do the math: Kevin Love minus 3s equals more 2s, a higher shooting percentage and more wins for the Cavs.

I may have nearly flunked algebra, but that seems like a pretty good equation to me.

It’s a strong contrast to Love’s October, where he heaved up 5.6 3-pointers a game on 13.4 shots. It’s inefficient and a lazy way for Love to play offense. With the big man lobbing long balls from left field, there’s usually no one under the hoop to rebound.

For example, Love is a much better offensive rebounder when he shoots fewer 3s:

• When Love shoots less than five 3s:  3.4 offensive rebounds per game
• When Love shoots more than five 3s:  2.4 offensive rebounds per game

In the one game Kevin Love didn’t launch a single triple, he gobbled a season-high eight offensive rebounds. The Cavs won that game against Milwaukee and Love’s game score was 35.4 — his highest of the season, according to Basketball-Reference.

Love should try to emulate his performance against the Milwaukee going forward. I know what you’re thinking: “No duh, that was his best game of the year.”

I’m not just talking about output. I’m talking about style. Love appears to be most most valuable as a hard-nosed, gritty rebounder and low block scorer. Yes, he’s still useful stepping beyond the arc. But with injuries down low and a wing-dominated roster, Cleveland needs their big man to play big…ly.

Love seems to be up to the challenge. When asked about playing more in the post, he jokingly told Cleveland.com, “I don’t want to say (I am) out of position but those are big boys and I have to make sure I’m well fed and rested.”

Next: 2017-18 Week 6 NBA Power Rankings

Thanksgiving couldn’t have come at better time for Kevin Love and Cleveland Cavaliers.