Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 players facing the most pressure in 2018-19

1. Kevin Love

Ever since he arrived in Cleveland in 2014, Kevin Love was forced to take a backseat to his more high-profile teammates, which led to a decrease in the numbers he became famous for with the Minnesota Timberwolves and invited a host of criticism for his lack of consistent production.

Following the departures of both Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, the Cavaliers are unequivocally Love’s team. He will be the focal point on offense, and he’ll have plenty of touches to return to his old self.

Prior to joining the Cavs, though, Love never did much winning in Minnesota despite the eye-popping numbers he’d put up on a nightly basis. Now older and with more wear and tear, nobody quite knows what to expect from the five-time All-Star.

Low expectations would be fine for Love, if not for the five-year, $113 million extension he signed this past July, making him the face of the franchise and the leader of the Cavs for the foreseeable future.

Everyone will now be watching to see what Love can do as the headliner. Was he being held back some as the third option? Or were his numbers with the Wolves simply empty and without meaning? This coming season will tell us plenty.