Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 takeaways from Game 1 vs. Pacers

1. Sidekick MIA

With Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas no longer on the roster, Kevin Love has become the undisputed second option for the Cavaliers on offense. A dangerous shooter and a handful in the paint, Love is afforded a more consistent stream of touches as the second option in Cleveland, giving him more opportunities to get into a rhythm.

Against Indiana, the five-time All-Star struggled to find his footing against the longer, athletic Myles Turner, scoring only nine points on 3-of-8 shooting from the field.

With streaky scorers like Hood and Clarkson, Cleveland needs a consistent second option next to LeBron James.

Struggling from the field, while not ideal, is less upsetting as long as it’s a result of aggression. Taking only eight shots simply won’t do for a player the Cavaliers rely on greatly to put the ball in the basket.

Next: Power ranking all 16 teams in the 2018 NBA Playoffs

If Cleveland wants to make a deep playoff run, Love will have to be more involved on the offensive end, knocking down shots from beyond the arc and getting a steady dose of post touches in order to take some pressure off James.