Kevin Love - Miami Ground Machine

[gratefuldead]

i really dont think blatt is using love correct

 

[nikolajz1]

i really dont think blatt is using love correct

Why aren't we running any sets with Love in the high post/elbow? Seems like lots of options for him to pass, drive, and shoot from there.

 

[WorldBoFree]

Its starting to look grim.

Kyrie is thriving despite a number of things working against him this year.

Lebron took most of his PG duties away, he's gone through a shooting slump especially from beyond the arc, and hes had to defer a lot in the beginning of games due to game plan, which makes it hard to get in rhythm. And he's had to deal with some strange "Leadership" and lackadaisical play from someone who is supposed to be showing him the way.

Despite all that, most of us are very happy with how hes played.

Hes improved defensively, but still has a ways to go on that end, but now its mostly consistency.

Love? What can we say about his game so far?

 

[6kiss]

Its Loves fault hes shooting so many threes. If he wanted the ball in the post, he should be demanding it. Even then, Love is very weak, soft and has limited post moves. Love is just a motor guy who can shoot threes. Unless he has a beast of a big man doing all the dirty work, hes not that effective. Trade him for a tough defensive minded big before its too late because at this rate, theres no way he stays with us, nor do I even want him to stay next season.

 

[Snarly]

i really dont think blatt is using love correct

It all boils down to this plus Love you can tell was a product of a bad team with its own bad habits and he still has most of those. Got to remember Kyrie and Love were seen as stat padding players. I expected Love to take longer to fit in and learn however yes. Blatt can't use him as like he does we need his post game. Problem right now is he is not hitting his shots like he used to so they are doubling him in the post and living with his shooting.

 

[theSTEREO.]

I just posted about this in the Blatt thread, but anybody making judgments about who and what Kevin Love is based on this season has either never watched him before or is too short sighted to see the whole picture.

IMO, 20% of Love's struggles are his own fault. New team, a ton being asked of him defensively compared to the past, and just general slumpiness.

But a full 80% lies on this coaching staff. And I like the coaching staff too. But they are screwing this up so badly. I watch multiple possessions go by without Love even TOUCHING the ball, let alone shooting it. And then when he does get it, he's so out of rhythm, scoring consistently is extraordinarily difficult.

You wanna know what the real Kevin Love looks like? The Kevin Love of the last four seasons? It's the guy that goes lights freaking out in first quarters. Threes, post ups, smart post passes. All because he's highly involved in the offense.

And then the Cavs just hang him out to dry.

I'm on rant mode tonight, I know, but tonight just bummed me out about Love so hard.

 

[6kiss]

I just posted about this in the Blatt thread, but anybody making judgments about who and what Kevin Love is based on this season has either never watched him before or is too short sighted to see the whole picture.

IMO, 20% of Love's struggles are his own fault. New team, a ton being asked of him defensively compared to the past, and just general slumpiness.

But a full 80% lies on this coaching staff. And I like the coaching staff too. But they are screwing this up so badly. I watch multiple possessions go by without Love even TOUCHING the ball, let alone shooting it. And then when he does get it, he's so out of rhythm, scoring consistently is extraordinarily difficult.

You wanna know what the real Kevin Love looks like? The Kevin Love of the last four seasons? It's the guy that goes lights freaking out in first quarters. Threes, post ups, smart post passes. All because he's highly involved in the offense.

And then the Cavs just hang him out to dry.

I'm on rant mode tonight, I know, but tonight just bummed me out about Love so hard.

This would make sense if he was actually trying to play defense and made an effort to demand the ball on the block

 

[Benedict_Boozer]

I'd sit Love until he is 100%. There is no point having him out there when he is struggling physically because teams just attack him on D and he doesn't have his confidence on offense.

 

[theSTEREO.]

This would make sense if he was actually trying to play defense and made an effort to demand the ball on the block

Dude is practically screaming for the ball on the block. I'm not even really sure why you say he isn't demanding it. But they don't often ignore him there.

My issue is the utter and complete lack of pick n pop with potentially the most deadly pick n pop player not named Dirk in this league. AND the idea that Love is almost always told to go stand weak side and wait like he's Joe Harris.

 

[priceFTW]

Not looking good but you put Love with a real center and you would see things turn around. Sooner or later those threes will fall...right?

 

[priceFTW]

Dude is practically screaming for the ball on the block. I'm not ever really sure why you say he isn't demanding if. But they don't often ignore him there.

My issue is the utter and complete lack of pick n pop with potentially the most deadly pick n pop player not named Dirk in this league. AND the idea that Love is almost always told to go stand weak side and wait like he's Joe Harris.

Indeed. A team like the Blazers would play that 50 times knowing he would get into a groove sooner or later. Hell, they do it with LMA for inefficient 20 footers.

 

[theSTEREO.]

Indeed. A team like the Blazers would play that 50 times knowing he would get into a groove sooner or later. Hell, they do it with LMA for inefficient 20 footers.

Precisely!

 

[Rich]

This is something Love is going to have to adapt too. If he's not making his shit early (and he hasn't been) then he might not see much of the ball later, because he's playing with an incredible isolation player. It's tough, but it's hard to force feed Love to get him in a groove when, instead, you can just let Kyrie or LBJ go iso and be more efficient.

We break down the games and try to find the reasons this and that happen, but so much of what happens in basketball is simply based on making or missing buckets. If he starts making his wide open looks, he'll see the ball more and he'll fit in better. Make shots.

 

[6kiss]

Indeed. A team like the Blazers would play that 50 times knowing he would get into a groove sooner or later. Hell, they do it with LMA for inefficient 20 footers.

A team like the Blazers has LA. Love doesnt even deserve to wash that guys feet. Idc what stats Love put up in Minni. He is no where near the player LA is.

 

[theSTEREO.]

This is something Love is going to have to adapt too. If he's not making his shit early (and he hasn't been) then he might not see much of the ball later, because he's playing with an incredible isolation player. It's tough, but it's hard to force feed Love to get him in a groove when, instead, you can just let Kyrie or LBJ go iso and be more efficient.

We break down the games and try to find the reasons this and that happen, but so much of what happens in basketball is simply based on making or missing buckets. If he starts making his wide open looks, he'll see the ball more and he'll fit in better. Make shots.

That's a pretty fair counter balance to my rant, and I do understand that Love's usage is going to go down and sometimes putting the hand in the two elite ISO wing players we have is the smartest play.

But I just can't abide the sheer volume of plays where the ball spends 60% of the time in the hands of AJ price, Shawn Marion, Delly or others when Love is relegated to the corner behind two defenders.

The principle of Basketball Gravity is really important and I understand that plugging Love in the corner opens the lane. But it shouldnt be used every play, and it shouldn't be used to set up late clock AJ price shots or Tristan Iso's. If it's not Lebron Kryie or Dion diving through the lanes that Love is opening, then it should be Love shooting or going to work on the block.