The people continually bashing Kevin Love are absolutely ridiculous, from the Dion Waiters/Andrew Wiggins jock riders to the people that absolutely refuse to acknowledge that he is obviously playing hurt right now because he wants to contribute.
For the first time in his career, we are not seeing him contribute in the ways that we normally do. His shot is flat and he's barely getting any lift when he does jump. He's tentative right now, partially due to the fact that he's hurt and partially due to the fact that he is still adjusting from going from being a number one option on offense for about five years to being a number three option on a team stacked with offensive talent. It wasn't exactly a secret coming in that he would have the biggest adjustment out of any of the new players on the roster.
You know how he is contributing? He's rebounding. He's defending. He's moving the ball. He's taking charges despite the fact that his back is hurting. He's drawing defenders out of the paint because despite the fact that he is not playing up to his normal levels, defenders simply cannot risk leaving him open.
Lots of hate for a guy that is averaging 17.1/10.3 despite being improperly utilized in the offense.
Lots of hate for a guy that is top ten in rebounding and one of only thirteen players in the league to be averaging double digits in that category.
Lots of hate for a guy that has a PER that is still above the league average (18.68).
Lots of hate for a guy that has three double doubles in his last five games and is among the league leaders for double doubles for the year. (He has 25 to be exact, and has narrowly missed having at least 12 others, either by a couple of rebounds or a couple of points.) In fact, he's tied for sixth in the league, and only three off of the league lead.
But sure, don't pay the guy who historically puts up better numbers than what he has, who is only 26, who is still averaging a double double despite playing hurt all year and trying to find his place in the offense, who has shown a lot of improvement on the defensive end, who hasn't complained even though things haven't totally gone his way this year.
Here's one for all you Andrew Wiggins worshippers - how are you gonna feel if the Cavs don't pay this guy and then he walks? You basically gave away the number one overall pick for nothing. But hey, better to be able to say "I told you so," right?
If you really feel that strongly, go ahead and go root for Minnesota. Enjoy watching Wiggins put up big numbers on a bottom-feeding team where he's able to get as many touches as he needs to in order to be able to put up those numbers. Keep telling yourselves that he would have been able to do that here, even with a disgruntled Dion Waiters right there with him.
Speaking of Dion, go ahead and go cheer him on in OKC, while you're at it. In all reality, the Cavs probably should have kept him and traded Irving, right? I mean he's got that edge and attitude, so fuck everything else like BBIQ, talent, and the fact that his game has yet to change in three years in the league! And let's not act like he was a cancer in the locker room, either. Everyone was just being too hard on the poor guy. I mean, on a team with other players such as LeBron, Irving, and Love, he was still the clear cut number one option. How was he the only one that could see it?! How are they making the exact same mistake in OKC right now?!
Go bitch and whine about what could have been. Myself and plenty of other people will be more than happy to sit here and watch what is - our hometown team on an eight game winning streak that is finally starting to come together and just beat one of the best teams in the league without LeBron James on the second night of a back to back.
Go Cavs.
/rant