Cleveland Cavaliers: Kevin Love is finding his groove with an added wrinkle

Kevin Love appears to be back to his old self as the season winds down. He’s playing better, more rugged and with a new wrinkle to his game.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love gobbled a rebound following a missed shot from the Milwaukee Bucks in the first quarter of Sunday’s game. His sneakers hardly touched the floor before he catapulted the ball to Cedi Osman for an easy layup.

He looked more like Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield than an NBA power forward. It wasn’t just that moment that impressed.  Against the Bucks, Love resembled his former self for perhaps the first time this season.

After missing the lion’s share of the year, Love has slowly integrated back into Cleveland’s system since returning from injury in late February. At times he’s looked slow, lumbering around the 3-point line as opposed to bumping bodies in the paint.

Prior to Sunday’s game, Love was averaging more attempts from beyond the 3-point line than underneath it since his return. On Sunday he dropped 20 points on 8-of-21 shooting, with 10 shots attempted under the arc. He was aggressive, pulling down 19 rebounds, his most since returning.

Love set bruising pick after bruising pick, rubbing elbows with the beefy Brook Lopez and Ersan Ilyasova. He attacked the rim with eight shots in the paint. He only shot nine down low in his previous three games combined.

The aggressive play hopefully reflects Love’s improved comfort level following toe surgery. He looks unafraid to play in the paint, tangle up with opposing players and attack the glass. It’s the Kevin Love of old — a bruising power forward who feasted on rebounds while creating space for teammates.

In limited minutes, Love is averaging 11.4 rebounds per game this season. That bests his career average of 11.3 and is his most as a Cavalier. His scoring average isn’t bad — 17.9 points per game — and is just off his career average. His total stat line is 17.9 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

But that’s on a 38.3 field goal percentage, the second-worst mark of Love’s career. The poor total is probably a side effect of recovering from injury. A solid offseason in the gym might be able to boost those numbers.

There is a silver lining. Love appears to have developed a reliable, off-the-dribble 3-point shot. Take a look how he moves in this clip against the Bucks:

This is Damian Lillard-like, the way he makes the Bucks’ Pat Connaughton look like a rec league defender. His footwork and release are quick. He appears comfortable and composed. Then there was the 3 that Love drained from Appleton, Wisconsin:

We mentioned it before; Love looks like he was taking notes from Kyle Korver prior to his departure. He’s mastered the pump fake and quick release from deep. Since returning from injury, Love has used it liberally, averaging nearly seven (!) attempts from downtown per game. That’s comparable to guards Kyrie Irving and Donovan Mitchell.

It’s a new wrinkle in Love’s game. But on Sunday, he appeared to comfortably combine his new weapon with his former playing style, anchoring the paint and gobbling up rebounds. Hopefully, it hints at the Love we will see throughout the rest of season — an aggressive rebounder and put-back artist who can create his own shot from deep.

Love’s contract extension runs through the 2022-23 season. His health appears to be returning. His numbers are up and Cleveland is winning (kind of), with a pair of victories in their last five games.

With the progress of Collin Sexton and Osman — not to mention a potential top pick — Love’s ability to return to prominence has increased importance for the improving Cavs. If he returns to All-Star form (19 points and 11 rebounds is pretty close), Cleveland could be primed for a playoff return sooner than expected.

How Love plays in the season’s final month could indicate what to expect from him next season.