Kevin Love - Miami Ground Machine

[Splitz]

I think that what this season has really taught me is that if an ultra talented player is not looking like himself than it's likely some form of injury that is causing confidence issues. If it's the back, I can totally understand it. Tweaked my lower back at the gym. On day 4 of feeling like shit. Such an integral part of your body to not have it functioning at 100% and can cause all types of confidence issue or become a huge impediment to what you want to do physically. Have to wonder if that not being 100% of close to it has the most to do with this.

 

[Redzone]

I don't know of any lingering injury, so I won't blame it on this, especially when he has good games every so often. When his shots are off, he tends to shoot a line drive, as in no arc, often hitting the front of the rim.

He also often seems to be pressing on this shot as in not following through and just watching it and grimacing and shaking his head when it does not fall.

He's had lots of different players/lineups this year and lately without practice. Hopefully the added practice and getting away from the game during the break will do him wonders.

I hope the pressure of winning/sharing the lineup with superior star(s) and being on national tv is not the problem, but something tells me it may be. Too many examples of stars who shrink under pressure.

I'm hoping if this is the issue, he will grow out of it or get used to things once the lineups remain consistent.

The good news is he's a nice guy and not a headcase. I've met him and he seems pretty down to earth, if not very laid back.

I also watched him shoot after the game yesterday and I did not see him miss.

So my theory is it's not physical, just mental.

Let's see how he plays after the break.

 

[Damien O'Connel]

One thing I do know, not having done much research, is that Love shoots best from the three point arc at the "elbow" outside the stripe on the right side, in between the top and the corner.

Lebron wants his stretch bigs in the corners. Either inside or outside the arc, but in the corners. Having Kyrie play more out top allows him to pump and drive if he gets the ball off the swing.

I always thought that KLove's shot distribution outside the arc in 'sota was a bit strange. That's manifesting itself here.

Unfortunately for him, we have won 11 straight with him being "uncomfortable". So looks like he's gonna have to just adjust.

And I think his back is a bit tight too. Flat shots.

 

[DatDudeZ3]

Love looked so much more fluid/smooth and stronger last year in Minny, hopefully he can get back to that here soon after he gets rest.

 

[Sebastian]

I'm okay with Love only having 5 points if we win, but we won't beat the Clippers if he has that type of performance. I'm not okay with the fact he only took 7 shots either way. Love has to off set Blake's production the best he can, and making him work on defense by being aggressive on offense is our best chance there.

I'd say he will probably have a good game offensively.

This year, he is averaging 15.0 ppg shooting 41.7% after a single day of rest.
He is averaging 24.2 ppg(!) after two days of rest on 57% shooting.

 

[AvonCavsFan]

One thing I was disappointed in last night at the game was Philly was guarding Love with Convington in the 4th quarter. That is skinny small forward. I would think our team would be smart enough to try and take advantage of the "mis-match", but they did not post him up one time. I was baffled honestly. We WILL need him at some point-last night would have been a good time to get him some touches on the block with a mis-match.

And there was a play in the 4th that Lebron passed cross court instead of to a wide wide open Love standing baseline/corner at the three point line. Like he was not confident in Love shooting right then and there.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Love might be banged up, might be pouting, might be a little of both. I will definitely say this: I've been reading the ESPN article and the articles coming out of NEOMG and they make me feel like the Cavaliers lost. This was a game that never seemed very close, another easy win. Why does Love have to answer lines of questioning that are like an interrogation when the Cavaliers beat a team they were expected to beat?

I think it goes back to clicks of the mouse an how the media makes money these days. When the Cavaliers were on a losing streak and a few articles were coming out that Love is a free agent at the end of the year, some websites running with the "Love is leaving" line of thinking were getting a lot of advertisement revenue. A boring staff like RCF who says, "This is a learning process, Love can't leave for a better situation to win championships" get LESS clicks. Trade rumors and scandals get clicks, reporting success doesn't.

I'll worry about the sky falling when the team isn't on a ten game run. Someday, the internet will be able to run positive articles and journalists will be rewarded for it. Today is not that day.

 

[mhi]

If we want to get our money's worth from Love, we have got to get him to the point where he feels free on some level to be a creator at the offensive end, not just a spot-up shooter who gets some open 3s. In order to do that he has to have his post game working (I am talking about the face up game that Captain S referred to above). But neither Blatt nor Lebron appears to have figured out how we want the team to play off Kev when he is posting up.

Excellent point; Blatt can keep complaining about lack of practice time, but this is something that needs to be on top of his list.

We should have at least a couple of sets consisting of the team operating around a Love high or low post up. Something that we can run effectively and repeatedly (esp in the playoffs) until they start double teaming him.

 

[Benedict_Boozer]

We are over complicating this. Just a few games back (sac) Love was getting the ball at the elbow and around the free throw line and looked great - not just scoring but as a playmaker. The team played well off that action and it's good to diversify from the constant p&r.

Give him the rock there particularly when Lebron sits or we hit a dry spell on offense, and if Love has a mismatch he needs to demand the ball on the block and get post position every damn time. He HAS to be more aggressive.

The challenge will be Lebron and Kyrie love pick and roll action, they want to run that relentlessly so Blatt will have to encourage them to try and get easy baskets off the ball when Love is featured at the elbows/mid post. The guy is a willing and great passer so it should work.

 

[Lee]

Haters are underestimating the value of love. He is an elite rebounder. Efficent when he gets to play in the paint, but his threat from 3 clears out the middle for others to operate.

he is sacrificing his game so he can take a skill he is good at, 3 point shooting, and sacrifice two skills he is elite at, post moves and rebounding.

And even with him spending so much time on the outside of a 3 point line, he is average 10.5 rebs a game.

Too put that in perspective, there are 9 pf's taking 3 or more 3 pointers a game (Love is averaging 5, tied with Channing frye for 2nd most for any PF). Of those 8 others, Sullinger is at 8 rebs a game, Ibaka is at 7.6 and Dirk is at 6. The other 6 are at are below 6 rebs a game, or half of what Love gets.

Love's rebounding has been better than i thought. To be 8th in the nba in rebounding while spending so much time away from the rim and playing with other good rebounders is incredible.

And for the record, Love still shoots 33% from 3, we were just hoping for 28% from 3 for him, he isnt Dion Waiters bad from 3 and he is a pf, not a sg.

 

[shoes22]

In what way is Love sacrificing his rebounding?

 

[TFIR]

For Cleveland Cavaliers, Kevin Love's drop in scoring should have been expected -- Terry Pluto

on February 03, 2015 at 5:58 PM, updated February 03, 2015 at 6:22 PM



CLEVELAND, Ohio -- What is the point of this season for the Cavaliers? It's winning right now with a 30-year-old LeBron James.

That's why I don't spend much time worrying about Kevin Love's scoring average.

Yes, I'd like to see Love more involved in the offense. Setting a few picks for Kyrie Irving and James would lead to more shots. Having him set up in the low post once in a while would help.

But the trade of Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and a 2015 first-rounder to Minnesota for Love was not about the power forward averaging the same 26 points a game that he did last season with the Timberwolves. It's about the Cavs having a team come playoff time that can contend for a title -- and at least win the Eastern Conference.

If Love is scoring those 26 points per game, that probably won't happen.

Why? For Love to take the nearly 19 shots per game that he did a year ago would mean that either James or Irving are injured. If either of the two stars are out for a long time, there are no title chances for the Cavs.

THE BOSH MODEL

When Love was traded to Cleveland, he was warned by Chris Bosh that life with James would be very different.

"It's going to be very difficult for him (Love)," Bosh told the Bleacher Report.

Bosh and James teamed up with Dwyane Wade in Miami in the summer of 2010.

Consider the following:

1. The previous season, Bosh averaged 24 points and 10.8 rebounds for a Toronto team that finished 40-42. He took 17 shots a game.

2. Last season, Love averaged 26 points and 12.5 rebounds for a 40-42 Minnesota team. He took nearly 19 shots a game.
Winning follows James around. He has only two titles -- but five trips to the NBA Finals in his first 11 seasons.

3. In Bosh's four seasons with James and Wade, his scoring average and shot attempts dropped each season. Overall, he averaged about 13 shots and 17 points. In his final year with James, it was 16.2 points and 12.1 shots.

4. This season, Love is averaging 16.9 points, 13.1 shots.

5. Now that James is gone, Bosh is averaging 21 points on nearly 17 shots a game.

BIG POINT: When a power forward from a losing team joins James, he scores less -- and wins a lot more. Yes, Bosh is having a better year scoring, but Miami is only 21-26. Does anyone believe the Heat will return to the NBA Finals, where they spent four years with James?
Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Feb. 2, 2015Kevin Love's 10 rebounds a game is the most important thing he does for the Cavs. Joshua Gunter, Northeast Ohio Media Group

SCORING AND LOSING

In his six seasons with Minnesota, Love never played on a winning team. He never made the playoffs. He played on two teams that were 15-67 and 17-65. The best was 40-42 last season.

Far more shots were available because Love played with far fewer talented players. It was the same story for Bosh in Toronto, where he averaged 23 points in the last four years before going to Miami.

Look at where the Heat are without James. They still have Wade and Bosh, but they will fight to even make the playoffs.

In his final season with the Heat, James had a 54-28 record -- his lowest winning percentage in Miami. And look at what James has meant to the Cavs. A year ago, they were 33-49. They are 28-12 when he plays this season, 30-20 overall.

Winning follows James around. He has only two titles -- but five trips to the NBA Finals in his first 11 seasons.

REBOUNDING AND WINNING

Love is averaging 16.9 points, so we're not talking about the reincarnation of Ryan Hollins or Jamario Moon. What really matters is his rebounding, and he's at 10.5 per game this season.

This season, more players are averaging 20 points (18) than 10 rebounds (13) in a game. That is the story most seasons.

Love is in a shooting slump -- 7-of-21 in the last two games. But he has 32 rebounds. He has not let his frustration with a lack of shots or a lower scoring average deter from his rebounding. If the Cavs didn't have Love, they would be searching for a power forward who could deliver 10 rebounds a game and make some outside shots.

A big part of David Blatt's offense is a power forward able to make 3-pointers -- allowing the middle to be open for James and Irving to drive to the rim.

The Cavs rank No. 8 in the NBA in rebounding, important because they are a scoring machine when running the fast break. Love not only can supply rebounds, he throws outstanding outlet passes to start the engine of a fast-paced offense.

Love can play better, but the drop in his scoring average should not be a major concern. In fact, it should have been expected -- as Bosh predicted. And his rebounding has helped the Cavs become a contender.

 

[jlegg21]

Every time I catch myself feeling a little concerned about Love's production, I just think back to the days of Antawn Jamison, Drew Gooden, Ryan Hollins and the rest of the crap bigs we've had to root for and it all goes away in a split second... quick as a perfect fullcourt pass that hits Lebron right in the hands.

 

[gratefuldead]

lets get him some elbow touches

srsly

 

[CosmoKramer]

Too put that in perspective, there are 9 pf's taking 3 or more 3 pointers a game (Love is averaging 5, tied with Channing frye for 2nd most for any PF). Of those 8 others, Sullinger is at 8 rebs a game, Ibaka is at 7.6 and Dirk is at 6. The other 6 are at are below 6 rebs a game, or half of what Love gets.

Okay... Love is a great rebounder, especially for a guy that can shoot. No one is questioning that. The problem is the inefficiency of his jump shot.

I have twelve power forwards taking three or more 3-pointers a game, and Love's shooting percentages put him at the bottom of the list.

Ryan Anderson - 2.2/6.4 - 35.1%
Channing Frye - 2.0/5.0 - 39.4%
Kevin Love - 1.6/4.9 - 33.0%
Mirza Teletovic - 1.6/4.8 - 32.1%
Serge Ibaka - 1.5/3.7 - 39.5%
Dirk Nowitzki - 1.3/3.6 - 36.8%
Marcus Morris - 1.4/3.5 - 39.9%
Patrick Peterson - 1.4/3.5 - 41.5%
Jared Sullinger - 1.0/3.4 - 29.3%
Charlie Villanueva - 1.2/3.1 - 37.3%
Marvin Williams - 1.0/3.1 - 32.8%
Anthony Tolliver - 1.1/3.0 - 37.3%​

Overall Love's taken the 23rd most three-pointers in the NBA this year regardless of position, and of those 23 players Love currently has the 19th lowest 3P%. The only players taking more 3's at a worse clip than Kevin Love are Trevor Ariza (32.5%), Kyle Lowry (32.8%), Trey Burke (31.9%), and CJ Miles (31.1%).

He's hitting a career-high percentage (50.7%) on long 2's, but considering he takes three times as many 3-pointers his ability to convert on threes is much more important.

This isn't new territory for Love- he attempted the 6th most three-pointers in the NBA last year with Minny. I thought Love wouldn't have as harsh an adjustment period as Bosh because he was already a high-volume 3-point shooter, but that's proven to be wrong. He did shoot 38% from deep in thirteen games in November, but the next two months saw a drop to 31%. I've said it before, the guy's just a mystery. What's making him miss shots that he's routinely made in his career before?

And for the record, Love still shoots 33% from 3, we were just hoping for 28% from 3 for him, he isnt Dion Waiters bad from 3 and he is a pf, not a sg.

Uh, who was only expecting Love to only hit 28% of his threes? He was a career 36% shooter from deep as a Timberwolf, and he hit about 38% in his last season there. Everyone expected the upgrade to Kyrie Irving and LeBron James from bricklayers Ricky Rubio and Corey Brewer would push Love's efficiency up towards the elite jump shooters in the game, except that's just not been the case.

Is he still adjusting to new teammates? Is he hurt more than he's letting on? Halfway through the season and we still have major questions to answer about this guy.

This is a 25-year-old that's already made the All-NBA second team twice, there's no question he's a great player. Anyone questioning whether he's worth a max contract is out of their mind. Conversely, anyone truly satisfied with what he's accomplished here needs to hold a phenomenal player to even higher standards. I apologize to anyone that wants to blindly call any criticism of him Love Hate, but there's little doubt we're not seeing the best of Kevin Love.

This is a team good enough to rip off a 10-game winning streak with a slumping Kevin Love, but to win a seven-game series in June we're going to need everything that Kevin Love has- and that should include an efficient jumpshot.