A new article by Jason Lloyd talking to Kevin Love about this season. Once again, he talks about how he wants to stay 100%. Check it out!
For Cavs’ Kevin Love, strong playoff performance a big deal
By Jason Lloyd
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published: April 25, 2015 - 03:26 PM
BOSTON: After making the biggest shot of the night, the final punch necessary to send the Boston Celtics reeling into a 3-0 deficit, Kevin Love skipped and strutted up the sideline and back toward the Cavs’ bench Thursday night.
It wasn’t much, but it was perhaps the most emotion he has shown all season.
In that moment, on the court splashing big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game, all of the noise was muted — and not just the TD Garden crowd. All of the talk about his contract, the conjecture over his relationship with LeBron James, his fit on this team and his future in Cleveland, all of it has slowly faded during his performance in this first-round series.
Take all 15 players on this roster and a strong case could be made that a fast start to the playoffs was more important for Love than anyone else.
“Absolutely it was a big deal,” Love told the Beacon Journal regarding a good start. “I’m dialed in. I want to win this thing. I think it’d be unbelievable.”
The Cavs can close out the Celtics with another victory in Game 4 Sunday afternoon. Love is ready. He has seemed a bit more engaging in the past month. He smiles more, he seems happier — he even lifts his head now during interviews rather than staring at the carpet as he did most of the season.
He says it was all a process to gear up for this moment, for his first playoff appearance in seven years. He has taken advantage of a Celtics frontcourt that can’t match the size and talent of the Chicago Bulls, who in all likelihood await the Cavs in the second round.
Love is averaging 18.3 points and nine rebounds through three games. He is shooting 42 percent in this series, but take away his dreadful 2-of-11 start to Game 1 and that percentage spikes to 52. He’s shooting 47 percent on 3-pointers and his nine 3-pointers are one shy of Kyrie Irving’s team-high 10.
He had the dazzling behind-the-back dunk off a half-court lob in Game 2. It’s a small sample size, but the fact he’s made 3-of-4 shots thus far in fourth quarters (all 3-pointers) is revealing. Love shot 36 percent during fourth quarters in the regular season (27 percent on 3-pointers) and is a career 42 percent shooter in fourth quarters (29 percent on 3-pointers).
For all the squabbling and sniping between James and Love during the regular season — from James’ fit in/fit out tweet to Love’s selection of Russell Westbrook as his Most Valuable Player — James came to Love’s defense after his Game 3 performance Thursday.
“He’s been highly criticized this year,” James said. “When you have a Big Three, they’ve got to find someone. … Kevin was the guy they tried to find and tried to tear him down. The one thing about him, he’s always stayed positive. I’ve always believed in him.”
It was a surprisingly strong show of support from the Cavs’ leader given some of the remarks from the past, but Love insists he wasn’t surprised by it and the relationship between the two isn’t as frigid as has been portrayed.
Of course, Love contributed to that perception when he went on a national radio show and said the two stars aren’t exactly best friends. But Love says his larger point was lost in the noise.
“The sound byte everyone wanted to run with was that we weren’t best friends, but we are friends and we are very cool and we do have a great work relationship,” Love told the Beacon Journal. “He’s tough on me just like he’s tough on everybody. He’s a great leader. I’ve been cool with ’Bron since pre-Olympics, especially more so after the Olympics and the same could be said for now. It doesn’t surprise me he had my back.”
With the Portland Trail Blazers in an 0-2 series hole entering Game 3 Saturday night, questions about LaMarcus Aldridge’s future with the Blazers are already swirling. Love can become a free agent after the season and has been in that blender for more than a year now. If/when the Cavs fall behind in an upcoming series, that might start to intensify.
For now, he is maintaining the same answers he has all season. Most players dismiss contract questions with some form of “I’m not thinking about that right now” or “I’ll worry about that after the season,” but Love has never wavered publicly on his commitment to the Cavs regardless of how many times and different ways he is asked.
“I don’t think there’s any other way to be,” he said. “I’ve always felt like I see myself being here. That hasn’t changed the entire year no matter what people have said or speculated or tore me apart or built me up. That’s just the way it goes sometimes.
“Sure there’s been tough times, trying times. But no, I was never wavered by any of it. It never made me think I was going to leave.”
Love is more worried about these playoffs than his contract, but he knows the questions will remain until he signs long term, whether that be this summer or next. Agents and general managers across the league continue to believe Love will look elsewhere this summer, but the Cavs privately remain confident he isn’t leaving.
“It hasn’t been as bad as you think,” Love said of his season of scrutiny. “If you cut out the noise, and most of the noise now is social media, I’ve always said chase the game, chase what you love and it will chase you right back. That was kind of the mindset I’ve always taken on things.
“Sure, there are times I fought it or might have been a little tough because I’m so used to playing efficient and consistent, but it never wavered my love for basketball or playing with these guys. We have a great group. We have a fun group. You guys don’t see that every day, but we’ve got some really good people here. It’s been great.”
For Cavs’ Kevin Love, strong playoff performance a big deal
By Jason Lloyd
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published: April 25, 2015 - 03:26 PM
BOSTON: After making the biggest shot of the night, the final punch necessary to send the Boston Celtics reeling into a 3-0 deficit, Kevin Love skipped and strutted up the sideline and back toward the Cavs’ bench Thursday night.
It wasn’t much, but it was perhaps the most emotion he has shown all season.
In that moment, on the court splashing big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game, all of the noise was muted — and not just the TD Garden crowd. All of the talk about his contract, the conjecture over his relationship with LeBron James, his fit on this team and his future in Cleveland, all of it has slowly faded during his performance in this first-round series.
Take all 15 players on this roster and a strong case could be made that a fast start to the playoffs was more important for Love than anyone else.
“Absolutely it was a big deal,” Love told the Beacon Journal regarding a good start. “I’m dialed in. I want to win this thing. I think it’d be unbelievable.”
The Cavs can close out the Celtics with another victory in Game 4 Sunday afternoon. Love is ready. He has seemed a bit more engaging in the past month. He smiles more, he seems happier — he even lifts his head now during interviews rather than staring at the carpet as he did most of the season.
He says it was all a process to gear up for this moment, for his first playoff appearance in seven years. He has taken advantage of a Celtics frontcourt that can’t match the size and talent of the Chicago Bulls, who in all likelihood await the Cavs in the second round.
Love is averaging 18.3 points and nine rebounds through three games. He is shooting 42 percent in this series, but take away his dreadful 2-of-11 start to Game 1 and that percentage spikes to 52. He’s shooting 47 percent on 3-pointers and his nine 3-pointers are one shy of Kyrie Irving’s team-high 10.
He had the dazzling behind-the-back dunk off a half-court lob in Game 2. It’s a small sample size, but the fact he’s made 3-of-4 shots thus far in fourth quarters (all 3-pointers) is revealing. Love shot 36 percent during fourth quarters in the regular season (27 percent on 3-pointers) and is a career 42 percent shooter in fourth quarters (29 percent on 3-pointers).
For all the squabbling and sniping between James and Love during the regular season — from James’ fit in/fit out tweet to Love’s selection of Russell Westbrook as his Most Valuable Player — James came to Love’s defense after his Game 3 performance Thursday.
“He’s been highly criticized this year,” James said. “When you have a Big Three, they’ve got to find someone. … Kevin was the guy they tried to find and tried to tear him down. The one thing about him, he’s always stayed positive. I’ve always believed in him.”
It was a surprisingly strong show of support from the Cavs’ leader given some of the remarks from the past, but Love insists he wasn’t surprised by it and the relationship between the two isn’t as frigid as has been portrayed.
Of course, Love contributed to that perception when he went on a national radio show and said the two stars aren’t exactly best friends. But Love says his larger point was lost in the noise.
“The sound byte everyone wanted to run with was that we weren’t best friends, but we are friends and we are very cool and we do have a great work relationship,” Love told the Beacon Journal. “He’s tough on me just like he’s tough on everybody. He’s a great leader. I’ve been cool with ’Bron since pre-Olympics, especially more so after the Olympics and the same could be said for now. It doesn’t surprise me he had my back.”
With the Portland Trail Blazers in an 0-2 series hole entering Game 3 Saturday night, questions about LaMarcus Aldridge’s future with the Blazers are already swirling. Love can become a free agent after the season and has been in that blender for more than a year now. If/when the Cavs fall behind in an upcoming series, that might start to intensify.
For now, he is maintaining the same answers he has all season. Most players dismiss contract questions with some form of “I’m not thinking about that right now” or “I’ll worry about that after the season,” but Love has never wavered publicly on his commitment to the Cavs regardless of how many times and different ways he is asked.
“I don’t think there’s any other way to be,” he said. “I’ve always felt like I see myself being here. That hasn’t changed the entire year no matter what people have said or speculated or tore me apart or built me up. That’s just the way it goes sometimes.
“Sure there’s been tough times, trying times. But no, I was never wavered by any of it. It never made me think I was going to leave.”
Love is more worried about these playoffs than his contract, but he knows the questions will remain until he signs long term, whether that be this summer or next. Agents and general managers across the league continue to believe Love will look elsewhere this summer, but the Cavs privately remain confident he isn’t leaving.
“It hasn’t been as bad as you think,” Love said of his season of scrutiny. “If you cut out the noise, and most of the noise now is social media, I’ve always said chase the game, chase what you love and it will chase you right back. That was kind of the mindset I’ve always taken on things.
“Sure, there are times I fought it or might have been a little tough because I’m so used to playing efficient and consistent, but it never wavered my love for basketball or playing with these guys. We have a great group. We have a fun group. You guys don’t see that every day, but we’ve got some really good people here. It’s been great.”
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