3 reasons Cleveland Cavaliers are performing better this season

1. Healthy Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson

The successful return of both Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson has lifted this Cleveland Cavaliers team to heights they could not reach last season.

Thompson and Love are not new faces to the franchises but they are a breath of fresh air to the rest of this young lineup. Last year, Love and Thompson appeared in just nine games together. This year, we are seeing how impactful they can be on the floor at the same time.

Love is averaging 17.2 points and 16.8 rebounds per game. He is also racking up a team- and career-high 4.8 assists per game.

Meanwhile, Thompson is scoring at a career-best rate of 17.6 and grabbing 11.4 rebounds per game. Together, Love and Thompson are accounting for over 50 percent of Cleveland’s rebounds and 32.8 percent of the team’s points per game.

These two have had a profound effect on each matchup the Cavaliers have had thus far. Thompson’s energy and hustle have ignited multiple scoring runs for the team while Love is capable of going on a run of his own.

Most importantly, the veteran leadership they have shown is magnificent. Both have taken a stronghold over the team, acting as guides to their developing prospects. It seems both have bought into building this core for the future.