Should Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love make NBA All-Star Game 2015?
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The Cavaliers' Tuesday night victory over the Detroit Pistons featured LeBron James and Kyrie Irving exploding for 70 of the team's 105 points.
It was domination by the two superstars. Irving had a season-high 38 points and James chipped in with 32.
Following the game, the two were forced to hold their postgame media availability in the hallway due to the large flock of media they attracted in the undersized locker room.
Kevin Love, who finished with seven points and eight boards, addressed the media at his locker stall. Approximately five or six media members surrounded him. That's a small glimpse into what this season has been like for the forgotten one-third of Cleveland's Big Three.
"That's how talented they are. You go into a game and I don't know, Kevin Love's been an All-Star for what? Three, four years. You don't even talk about him in your preparation hardly. That's how good the other guys are," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said.
Love is in unfamiliar territory.
For six years in Minnesota he was the face of the franchise. The ball went through him on most offensive possessions and he racked up gaudy statistics. Even though he's averaging 17.3 points and 10.3 rebounds this season, which isn't anything to be ashamed of, they're his lowest numbers since his second year in the league.
The majority knew his numbers would take a hit coming into this season, but it appears Love has disappeared from the offensive playbook altogether. In his last three games, the power forward is posting 11.7 points and 8.0 rebounds. He has reverted to being primarily a stretch-four, catch-and-shoot player.
Which brings us to the Big Apple.
A broken hand limited Love to 18 games during the 2012-13 season and thus, he was left off of the All-Star team and rightfully so. Aside from that year, he has been a Western Conference All-Star regular the past four years.
Now the million-dollar question: Is Love worthy of being an All-Star this year?
"Yes, I think so," Cavs coach David Blatt said. "...Kevin from his position is averaging a double-double while sacrificing some of his own individual game to help the team win and be successful. So yeah, you can certainly make a case for that. Absolutely."
Others are not so much in agreement.
In speaking with five team executives and seven scouts who shall remain anonymous to protect their positions, all with the exception of one scout said Love should be left off the roster.
"It would be a travesty if he made it," one league executive told Northeast Ohio Media Group. "A team in the fifth seed in the weak Eastern Conference can't have three guys in. That can't happen. You know what kind of outrage it would be? Can't happen."
And his advocate provides a take.
"His numbers are solid and there's no question he's had to sacrifice the most of the Big Three," a scout said. "If we're talking about star power and numbers, he should definitely get in."
To Love's credit, he's handling the situation like a professional. After Tuesday's win, the Cavaliers' seventh consecutive win, he admitted that it's even hard for him to envision roaming the streets of New York in mid February considering the team's 26-20 record.
"Either way I'll head home to see my family or head back to Los Angeles," he told NEOMG. "So, it's not anything that's really a big deal to me. Obviously I would like to be there, but it's going to be nice for me to get a break either way."
The NBA coaches are responsible for selecting the reserves for their respective conferences. They turned in their ballots Tuesday afternoon and the 14 names will be revealed Thursday night on TNT.
All in all, Love is having a strong campaign, but that might not be enough this year and he has accepted that.
"I'm OK with whatever happens," Love said. "As long as I'm helping my team win games, that's all I'm concerned about. The other stuff will take care of itself."
