Kevin Love - Miami Ground Machine

[TwoPistols]

I just wish he would score in the post... at least sometimes.

11 FGA w/10 3PA? For a PF?

It's just bad basketball. It's so one dimensional, and people have caught on saying the Cavs have turned Love into a 'specialist' when he's so much more capable.

Enough with the excuses...

In crunch time of yesterday's game, he was desperately trying to get it in the post. It wasn't his fault. LeBron was too busy trying to go iso and fire up a 3. LeBron catches, holds, assesses the situation, and by that time, Love loses position. Usually when you get the ball to Love in the post, good things happen. He may not necessarily score, but he is good at drawing contact and reading the defense. He needs to play with that assertiveness all game. He's not going to suddenly get the ball in the post late in the 4th quarter after not doing it the whole game.

Love's last 10 games or so, over 50% of his FGA are 3 pointers. That's why he ranks as efficient but I'm hesitant to call him that. He had 16 FGA in the Detroit game and 14 of them were 3's too. We can say that's good because Monroe and Drummond couldn't cover him, but it's becoming too much of the norm.

 

[Thelorn]

Really wish we knew how to use him, for how well he's doing being completely misused, man watch out.

 

[All4One1ForAll]

Oh man, if this guy implodes on the playoffs, everyone in Cleveland will be calling for his head

 

[Jack Brickman]

I agree with gouri. I hate seeing his stat line say 11 shots, 10 threes. That's ridiculous. Love is capable of so much more than just being a spot-up shooter.

 

[Birdy89]

I agree with gouri. I hate seeing his stat line say 11 shots, 10 threes. That's ridiculous. Love is capable of so much more than just being a spot-up shooter.

Lebron neutered Bosh in much the same way. Totally transformed what he was from Toronto in the same way we have seen happen to Love.

 

[Obawan12]

Lebron neutered Bosh in much the same way. Totally transformed what he was from Toronto in the same way we have seen happen to Love.

This is very true. Not many may recall but Bosh was not even considered a 3 point shooter before his move to Miami. In his last year with LeBron, it was practically his main role. The only difference here is Love already shot a lot of 3's prior to arriving in Cleveland, so it has only gotten worse for him.

As disappointing as it is, I'm still excited about this team going forward. We are still in the middle of year one with this group. Kevin Love will never go back to beasting like he did in Sota, but that should have been obvious; he was coming to play with 2 of the most ball dominant players in the league. However, I truly do expect him to adjust and I think we'll see his efficiency get back to high level as he does. I know we are already 2/3 through the season, but look at how long it took Wade/Bosh to adjust.

I really don't expect to see too much change at this point in the season. This team is who it is; we have a great shot at making the ECF and a pretty good shot at making the Finals as well. TBH though, I'm way more excited about what next season holds.

 

[Jscc]

In crunch time of yesterday's game, he was desperately trying to get it in the post.

He hasn't been fighting for position to get into the post lately. And when he has, he's having a difficult time doing it. I can't count how many times our guards wanted to get him the ball but Kevin's defender was all over him and Kevin couldn't get position/open to receive it. It's an instant turnover or the ball's knocked out of bounds if forced.

But then again, it's not Kevin's fault they don't run plays inside the three point line for him to get him open. So my guess--due to our offense being make it up as you go--is he camps out where he feels he can contribute the most: the three point line on offense and the paint on defense.

 

[All4One1ForAll]

This ^. I've noticed that Kevin has been having a really hard time establishing good post position.

 

[LoveStan]

I noticed on one stepback three he made last night it was a definite less agile step than his usual stepback threes. Personally, I think the issue with Love right now is mental. Yes he has ailing problems from time to time but unless he's hiding something serious I can't see otherwise.

 

[hambone]

So is this really how it's going to be? He plays well and this thread is a ghost town. He slightly dips one game ( and I mean slightly, he may have shot 4/11 but he was 40% on threes and those were the majority of his shots. Not to mention some excellent defense no millsap) and then the cacophony of moaning begins.

Okay then. There is absolutely no pleasing some people.

 

[Jscc]

He slightly dips one game ( and I mean slightly, he may have shot 4/11 but he was 40% on threes and those were the majority of his shots. Not to mention some excellent defense no millsap) and then the cacophony of moaning begins.

Paul Millsap is 6'8, 253 and is 30 years old.

Kevin Love is 6'10, 243 and is 26 years old.

Kevin should've been posting Millsap up all night. But then again, if Kevin's role was to space the floor.. he was doing his job.

 

[hambone]

Paul Milsap is 6'8, 253 and is 30 years old.

Kevin Love is 6'10, 243 and is 26 years old.

Kevin should've been posting Milsap up all night. But then again, if Kevin's role was to space the floor.. he was doing his job.

That is his job. His job is to space the floor. That is what blatt has him do in the offense, that is what he does.

Paul millsap was an allstar this year and is having a fantastic all around season. His age and height and whatever else bear no relevance here.

 

[Jscc]

His age and height and whatever else bear no relevance here.

Exploiting mismatches isn't irrelevant. It's what good teams do.

 

[hambone]

Exploiting mismatches isn't irrelevant. It's what good teams do.

Hardly a mismatch. Millsap is an excellent post defender.

Besides, in order to exploit a mismatch you kind of have to get your team to pass you the ball.

Besides that, the cavs were getting very good looks having love set the balls screen and flaring out for three. In my opinion they should have kept doing that. They didn't, for whatever reason.

 

[gourimoko]

Hardly a mismatch. Millsap is an excellent post defender.

Besides, in order to exploit a mismatch you kind of have to get your team to pass you the ball.

Besides that, the cavs were getting very good looks having love set the balls screen and flaring out for three. In my opinion they should have kept doing that. They didn't, for whatever reason.

I think @Jscc 's point is that in a Kevin Love / Paul Millsap matchup, Love is at a marked advantage. It was not the correct coaching decision to have him exclusively perched at the 3-point line.

That was a mistake, by any measure.

Love should have been all over the floor, including the post. He's simply being misused, and in a big way.