Kevin Love - Miami Ground Machine

[Hydroponic3385]

I can go back in this thread and find at least 20 instances of me complimenting Kevin Love.

That was not directed to anyone specifically, particularly not towards you. But I'm confident that many people who jump at the chance to bash him after a rough game hardly if ever post in this thread after good games.


And nor do I consider myself in any "camp." I rarely if ever post in here. My original post today was about how the various "camps" both need to compromise in their approach to this debate. Yet the only people arguing against anything I posted were the people who tend to criticize Love, so I responded to them.

 

[Tornicade]

Five of Kevin's threes came off screens. One came off a cut and only one was a spot-up. With the exception of the one near the end of the game where James Jones set a bad screen, they were all wide open looks. That's his job. If the look is there, take the shot. He did. They just weren't falling.

Most of the entire team stayed on the perimeter. Not just Kevin. West and Hibbert were clogging the paint.

im talking about his off the ball paint game and you reference how well he is doing screening for threes. Thats not all there is to Kevin Love. He is an effective post scorer and a guy who in the post has shown he can work the paint off the ball and that is the part of his game that is lacking right now.

I never said Love was clogging the paint. what i said was that he needs to recognize when to come inside and his teammates need to learn to anticipate when they should goto him in the paint.
Love has three options in the half court. Post up, play the perimeter game or cut into the paint. it is especially important when his shot isnt falling and the driving lanes are shut down. Thats the key for the cavs when they get to the playoffs. I can understand peoples agitation that they havent seen it yet but they are as a team making progress towards that end. first level offense may be good enough for the regular season but it doesnt cut it in the post season.

 

[Baseline Runner]

I have been both surprised and disappointed in Love. Surprised in how good of an all-around game he has. He is an excellent rebounder and passer. The other night when he made 8 threes the announcers were like Kevin Love is better than just a "specialist". But he also had 16 rebounds that game. I don't know of any three point specialist that can grab 16 rebounds, that alone makes him a multi-faceted player.

But I have been disappointed in his offense. I expected him to be a more capable offensive player. He has had opportunities to carry this team on his back when Lebron and or Kyrie were down with injuries yet he has not shown he has that ability with us. The Indiana game was a perfect example of when we needed him to take over and show elite offensive skills but was unable to.

It'd be nice to see Love improve from what he is doing now but there is nothing wrong with a great passing, stretch forward that averages 17/10. That is one hell of a third option to have on a championship team and I'd like to lock him up long term.

 

[Jscc]

I'm not saying he can't find guys because I know he is a capable passer. Just saying he hasn't in crunch time situations.

Kevin has a win% of 57.9% in the clutch, which means when he plays during crunch times the team wins 57.9% of their games. For comparison, LaMarcus Aldridge has a 60.0% win% and Pau Gasol has a 48.1% win%.

The Detroit game was him being all clutch. It was because of Kevin's shots that we erased that deficit so fast.

 

[Otsego Mar]

This team has GOT to go to Kevin down the stretch. Absolutely a must. Still not utilizing him correctly (enough).

 

[gourimoko]

Good game from Kevin Love... but I just feel as though he's still not being used correctly.

No touches at all in OT? Why?

 

[Rick Astley]

This team has GOT to go to Kevin down the stretch. Absolutely a must. Still not utilizing him correctly (enough).

The team especially the coach is just still learning as we have seen in the Rox game. Hoping they'll learn fast enough for the POs though.

 

[Akron330]

I don't get it. Love had a terrific game going, both outside and inside. Why take him out for such an extended period of time?

 

[Ohio]

Another reason the Love bashing is terrible is because he's been grossly misused all season.

 

[Otsego Mar]

Too much pounding the ball from Bron today. One of the only times they went to Love down on the block/elbow in the 4th was with about 9 seconds left on the clock (too late). He made a strong move and missed the bucket, but it was a better look than most of our plays that quarter.

Mozgov disappears from the game down the stretch as well.

 

[godfather]

The way we used him in the fourth/over time is a travesty.

 

[brownsbuck6]

Too much pounding the ball from Bron today. One of the only times they went to Love down on the block/elbow in the 4th was with about 9 seconds left on the clock (too late). He made a strong move and missed the bucket, but it was a better look than most of our plays that quarter.

Mozgov disappears from the game down the stretch as well.

Mozgov didn't PLAY going down the stretch. Sorta not his fault.

Not much really can be said about this game about any player with LeBron playing the shit game he just did.

 

[Cratylus]

Well, LeBron bricked the two free throws that would have won the game. Time for the usual suspects to blame this loss on Kevin.

 

[gourimoko]

I don't get it. Love had a terrific game going, both outside and inside. Why take him out for such an extended period of time?

Made no sense to me personally. Wanted to see Love help balance the offense. Instead, it was all LeISO. Blatt's gotta run a better offense than that.

 

[Sebastian]

Second game in a row Mozgov saw little action. Is he in the dog house or injured or something?