Kevin Love - Miami Ground Machine

Triplethreat said:

Love was great last night.

However he fucking sucked in game 3. If we want any shot of winning this series - we need good Kevin Love for 3 straight. If not, kiss it goodbye.

He's the most important player on the team right now.

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And he was easily the second best Cav in Game 1 and Game 2. Freaking GS just has guys like Thompson and Igodoula who would be anywhere from the 1-3 best players on the vast majority of NBA teams (including playoff teams) as their 4 and 5th players

I liked him guarding iguodola last night in their small lineup. If they want to use iguodola to attack Love then be my guest.

I took some heat for ranking Love ahead of Draymond

With how much better Love has gotten on defense is there even an argument for Draymond over Love anymore? Draymonds a better facilitator, but we literally just cede wide open shots to Draymond as our defense.

They've been attacking Love and he's risen to the challenge.

He's contesting 16.8 shot per game so they're targeting him (he's also been the last line of defense and winds up contesting easy layups and dunks at the rim after other players get blown by).

Overall DFG%: 47.8%, -1.9% compared to what opponents usually shoot.

Three pointers: 35.3%, -3%

Two pointers: 52%, -3.8%

<6ft: 62.4, -4.4%

>15 ft: 32%, -9.2%

Last night's game was the first one in which the Warriors scored well against him as they were 9/15 against him although that number is inflated because of the easy layups and dunks he contested. Here were his numbers before last night:

Overall DFG%: 44.2%, -6.2%

Three pointers: 33.3%, -5%

Two pointers: 47.5%, -8.5%

<6ft: 56.5%, -10.1%

>15 ft: 23.5%, -18.8%

He has been very good defensively.

Even in game 3 I thought he played well, missed open shots, but the rest of his game was excellent, played hard in every aspect of the game, might be the best game I have seen from him on the defensive end.

Thought he looked a little tired towards the end of game 4, struggled on the boards, but this whole playoff run he has played like a man with a point to prove. Those bunnies though.

priceFTW said:

They've been attacking Love and he's risen to the challenge.

He's contesting 16.8 shot per game so they're targeting him (he's also been the last line of defense and winds up contesting easy layups and dunks at the rim after other players get blown by).

Overall DFG%: 47.8%, -1.9% compared to what opponents usually shoot.

Three pointers: 35.3%, -3%

Two pointers: 52%, -3.8%

<6ft: 62.4, -4.4%

>15 ft: 32%, -9.2%

Last night's game was the first one in which the Warriors scored well against him as they were 9/15 against him although that number is inflated because of the easy layups and dunks he contested. Here were his numbers before last night:

Overall DFG%: 44.2%, -6.2%

Three pointers: 33.3%, -5%

Two pointers: 47.5%, -8.5%

<6ft: 56.5%, -10.1%

>15 ft: 23.5%, -18.8%

He has been very good defensively.

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He is been our 2nd best defender, but he shouldn't be the last line of defense. That needs to change.

23/5/4/2/1 with 6+ threes made has been done 14 times in playoffs history.

Curry twice, Klay, LeBron, Jordan, Harden, Kawhi, Lillard, A. Walker, Smart this year, Peeler, Steve Smith, Kidd, Love.

Players to do it in under 30 minutes? KLove (obviously others may have done it in <30 minutes but played longer in the game but there's no way to check for that other then going through every game log and that's for 2001 onwards).

So, Kevin Love.

He's balled out in this series. I really don't think you can move him straight up for George and get better, and that's not just because of this series. You don't find a lot of guys that can do everything he can do, and be willing to take a step back in the offense to do it.

If you want to get George, fine. Try it. But you have to keep the big three intact.

Czvosec said:

He's balled out in this series. I really don't think you can move him straight up for George and get better, and that's not just because of this series. You don't find a lot of guys that can do everything he can do, and be willing to take a step back in the offense to do it.

If you want to get George, fine. Try it. But you have to keep the big three intact.

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Agreed. Honestly, the only way we would be able to get George regardless is if he specifically said that he would only accept a trade to Cleveland. He basically would have to force it. Because while Love is a great return, if they trade George, they would much rather get young players and picks. Even if it's not even package worth George or Love, they still would want the rebuilding pieces.

I guess we could give them 2021, 2023 unprotected firsts, Osman, Tristan, and Shumpert or something. Tristan is definitely worth a first rounder if they flip him to a playoff team and I don't care about him having 3 bad games other than those 3 games he's been dominant in the playoffs. Shumpert after a good playoff run where he's been an elite defender consistently again could probably fetch a late first or two seconds a-la PJ tucker.

That package is still garbage, and easily beatable by almost any team with a decent young asset or two, but if George literally says: Trade me to the Cavs or I'm signing with the Lakers in free agency, don't trade me to the Lakers because I'm not signing there anymore if they dump a good young asset to get me, then maybe it could happen. Regardless, It's a super long-shot proposition.

Still kind of brings things back full circle to Carmelo, but the sheer insane amount of money Carmelo makes PLUS his trade kicker(can be waived but still) makes the trade to get him so difficult. I think trading Tristan to get him would make no sense. I think it would make even less sense to trade Love for a Melo package. So you're looking basically at Frye, Shumpert, and salary filler. And I would probably still do that deal, but the crappy thing about that deal is that you lose Shumpert who has been one of your best defenders this entire playoff run and you get older and less athletic on the wing.

I really don't think a major shake-up is needed or should even be pursued. Obviously listen, figure out what you can figure out.

Here is my pipe-dream summer. I am fully aware that Wade probably wont take the MLE, Bosh probably wont take the minimum or even play at all, and Houston likely wont trade us Beverly. But I think we need to keep Kevin Love. I think he is going to have the best season of his career next year, win or lose this year. He will either want that 3-peat or he will want vengeance.

Sign Wade, Bosh, and Bogut, resign Korver
Trade Frye and Cedi for a wing.
Trade Shumpert for Beverlly(if the rockets are willing...if this doesnt happen it's not a huge deal..)

Kyrie/JR/LeBron/Love/Bosh (If bosh returned to 80% of old form this line-up would be disgusting)
Beverly/Wade/Korver/TT/Bogut

I feel game 5 is going to be kevin loves best game of his career... and kyrie and bron do their thing too.... not confident in the role players in game 5 but if our big 3 steps up any outplays curry Durant and draymond then we will win

priceFTW said:

They've been attacking Love and he's risen to the challenge.

He's contesting 16.8 shot per game so they're targeting him (he's also been the last line of defense and winds up contesting easy layups and dunks at the rim after other players get blown by).

Overall DFG%: 47.8%, -1.9% compared to what opponents usually shoot.

Three pointers: 35.3%, -3%

Two pointers: 52%, -3.8%

<6ft: 62.4, -4.4%

>15 ft: 32%, -9.2%

Last night's game was the first one in which the Warriors scored well against him as they were 9/15 against him although that number is inflated because of the easy layups and dunks he contested. Here were his numbers before last night:

Overall DFG%: 44.2%, -6.2%

Three pointers: 33.3%, -5%

Two pointers: 47.5%, -8.5%

<6ft: 56.5%, -10.1%

>15 ft: 23.5%, -18.8%

He has been very good defensively.

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The Wizard of Moz said:

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Hahahahahahaha! How long have you been waiting to use my go-to gif on me?

priceFTW said:

Hahahahahahaha! How long have you been waiting to use my go-to gif on me?

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Quite some time my friend!

Also I hope you don't mind, but I plan on quoting that post in my game thread for game 5 that I'm piecing together now

The Wizard of Moz said:

I took some heat for ranking Love ahead of Draymond

With how much better Love has gotten on defense is there even an argument for Draymond over Love anymore? Draymonds a better facilitator, but we literally just cede wide open shots to Draymond as our defense.

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Draymond still spends much of his time guarding the Cavs best player and the best player in the world and Kevin Love had spent a good portion, if not a majority of his time guarding Pachulia.

I still take Draymond, but in Keys top 20 thread I only had him a few spots ahead of Kevin. I dont think there's much of a gap.

I think he's a better player than Draymond Green. Kevin isn't the defender Green is, and Green is the better playmaker.

But Kevin is still better in my books. I still think at the power forward position you're judged on how well you rebound for your position, and he's as good as it gets.

And his versatility on offense end is well displayed. The guy is balling out there.

There's nothing wrong with our big 3. They are as good as it gets. Name a big-3 that's significantly better?

Even GS's it's a wash at best, IMO. If they're better, it's not by much (meaning GS's 3 best players, when you throw in 4, well, yeah, they're much better. We don't have a big 4)

I don't see how trading any of them makes us better. We need to get better with the rest of the team. I actually think our big-3 complement each other perfectly.