Kevin Love - Miami Ground Machine

[Jontibs]

Very impressed with Kev, is he trying to play himself off the team or is he genuinely happy to be here and is thriving in his role?

I would hope he is thrilled to be playing meaningful basketball again. There can little more dispiriting on a sporting level for a veteran than to go from competing with and against the best to tanking with kids. Suddenly becoming irrelevant due to the rush of the next generation happens to all us but rarely as suddenly as the NBA.

Putting up gaudy, but meaningless, stats on a poor team might be motivating for a young player building their career but winning should come first later. Love might only have this season remaining at a decent level, after all his injuries he should appreciate the chance to do something that matters, as should Rubio.

#Free Veterans from Tanking Teams#

 

[RubioFanLifer]

We'll have to see how he feels in the offseason, since he may be more willing to negotiate on a buyout once there's only a year left.

Hoping he would want to stay on as a veteran precense and a catch and shoot weapon off the bench. He's going to thrive in that Carmelo Anthony type role.

I think Love wants to ride his contract out. Make all this money and call it quits. I don't think he's all that motivated to ring chase on vet min contracts somewhere. He's already rich and a champion with allstar accolades. He's had a successful career, had his share of injuries so I don't think he wants to play till he puts his health at more risk.

But what do I know? I'm not his close friend.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

It is pretty astounding that the addition of a rookie seems to have transformed the culture and personality of the team. It's even weirder because Mobley doesn't seem to be the vocal type. But his defensive ability and overall BBIQ seems to have enabled this team to hit critical mass on culture, and it's fantastic.

 

[Peacedog]

We'll have to see how he feels in the offseason, since he may be more willing to negotiate on a buyout once there's only a year left.

Hoping he would want to stay on as a veteran precense and a catch and shoot weapon off the bench. He's going to thrive in that Carmelo Anthony type role.

Why would he be interested in a buyout? The Cavs should be a 45-50 win team by next year and a threat to win a playoff series or two. What would he gain by leaving?

 

[Cassity14]

Let's not forget that a lot of the problems with Loved directly stemmed from the losing.

When he signed his contract, Koby told him that the Cavaliers planned to put a competitive roster on the floor and continue being in the playoffs. His first blowup with the front office reportedly came from Kevin feeling lied to in that regard. His declining play, coupled with his injures, made him untradeable on his current contract, which I think led to a lot of mutual frustration between Love and the Cavs. Meanwhile, the losses mounted and the culture fell off a cliff with "thugs", KPJ antics, and Garland's awful start to his career.

Love is very clearly not a driver of organizational culture. However, I haven't seen anything to suggest he's a malcontent either. He's not chirping to the media or going off on any online accounts.

The Cavaliers finally appear to resemble what he was told they would, and he seems more than willing to play his own reduced part in their resurgence. I give him credit for that.

 

[DirtyDan]

I think Love wants to ride his contract out. Make all this money and call it quits. I don't think he's all that motivated to ring chase on vet min contracts somewhere. He's already rich and a champion with allstar accolades. He's had a successful career, had his share of injuries so I don't think he wants to play till he puts his health at more risk.

But what do I know? I'm not his close friend.

I'm not sure about that. It's possible, but it's also possible he hangs around the league for another season or two after his deal expires. Already tried to get traded and bought-out before.

This is basically him after a major age related decline in performance and physical ability. He's still providing incredible value to the Cavs despite all of that. As long as he can shoot at a high level and rebound decently then he'll have a spot in the NBA if he desires that.

 

[DirtyDan]

Why would he be interested in a buyout? The Cavs should be a 45-50 win team by next year and a threat to win a playoff series or two. What would he gain by leaving?

We would need a major trade or really anything that puts us in that upper echleon. Mobley's development can only carry a team so far and Love has limited time left in the league before retirement.

I want to believe the Cavs will be ready to be in the top 4 of playoff seeding next season and go for a deep run, but Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Warriors, and Phoenix seem way more likely to do that AND win a championship next year.

Gotta try to see it from Love's perspective if ring-chasing is the goal.

 

[Dr No]

He's played his whole career in small markets. He has more money than he can spend. He is engaged to one of the hottest women on the planet. He already has a ring. Why leave? Unless he is longing for a different location - which during the season all you do is play basketball and he can live anywhere he wants in the off season -so does location really matter much? Now that the team isn't a dumpster fire and he has found a respectful role in it, he may be content to ride it out here. Didn't think I'd be writing this post a month ago.

 

[Peacedog]

We would need a major trade or really anything that puts us in that upper echleon. Mobley's development can only carry a team so far and Love has limited time left in the league before retirement.

I want to believe the Cavs will be ready to be in the top 4 of playoff seeding next season and go for a deep run, but Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Warriors, and Phoenix seem way more likely to do that AND win a championship next year.

Gotta try to see it from Love's perspective if ring-chasing is the goal.

They're currently on a pace for 44.7 wins, despite having more injuries than most teams and having one of the most difficult schedules so far. I think 45 wins this year is highly achievable. Since nearly their entire roster is young and improving my guess is they can stand pat in the off season and project to about 48 wins next season. Maybe more.

 

[DirtyDan]

He's played his whole career in small markets. He has more money than he can spend. He is engaged to one of the hottest women on the planet. He already has a ring. Why leave? Unless he is longing for a different location - which during the season all you do is play basketball and he can live anywhere he wants in the off season -so does location really matter much? Now that the team isn't a dumpster fire and he has found a respectful role in it, he may be content to ride it out here. Didn't think I'd be writing this post a month ago.

Championships and being a contributor to a deep playoff run? The one thing the Cavs can't give him right now. Time is running out on his career/body to wait for the Cavs to become championship contenders.

He's not gonna stop wanting a championship just because he won one. Don't think that's how competitors work.

It all depends on Love's frame of mind. If he wants the buyout or trade, then he's probably more likely to get it next season. I want him to stay, but I get it if he's still trying to leave.

 

[DirtyDan]

They're currently on a pace for 44.7 wins, despite having more injuries than most teams and having one of the most difficult schedules so far. I think 45 wins this year is highly achievable. Since nearly their entire roster is young and improving my guess is they can stand pat in the off season and project to about 48 wins next season. Maybe more.

If it were the 2019 playoffs (normal season) that would put us around the 5th or 6th seed. That's best case scenario, we really don't have the depth to survive injuries and the Cavs overall youth makes that a tough goal.

Okay, so lets say that happens and Love still wants a ring? The 5th seed Cavs need to make a pretty big jump in performance and talent to become contenders when he can easily take Blake Griffin's spot in Brooklyn...

Only a few teams really have a shot at a title every year. Love will have his first opportunity at free agency in a long time, maybe sooner if he wants a buyout in the offseason. I'm not spouting some radical idea here, he could leave or stay, we'll find out pretty soon how he feels in the offseason.

 

[Heat Check]

I don't think Love's improved state of mind has much to do with the arrival of Mobley in itself.

IMO, it's more about all the moves put together. The balance has shifted enough within the team for Kevin to feel at home again. There are no knucklehead types, no huge egos, no hidden agendas undermining the team, no dysfunction.

Instead, this is most definitely a team of "good guys" now. Koby added not one, not two, but THREE mild-mannered, quiet, smart dudes in Rubio, Markkanen and Mobley. Allen, Garland and Cedi seem to be thriving in this new environment as well.

 

[KI4MVP]

The guy is making 30 mil a year, at this point it's impossible for him to fit the billing. Even if he plays out of his mind in his bench role he's still a negative asset at his salary. Teams wouldn't want him as the money is too big. So he's here to stay so the fans and Kevin better enjoy the ride. Love is making the best out a bad situation for everyone involved

only that for another year after this one. Wherever he plays beyond that, here or elsewhere, it'll be a smaller contract. I don't see it as an issue with his contract, at all. We're well under the luxury tax and will be well under it again next year.

 

[Heat Check]

I have no idea if Love wants to keep playing after his current contract runs out. But nobody wants to end their career in the type of atmosphere that existed before this season.

I think Koby should be praised for creating the kind of environment that clearly pulled Kevin back into the fold. He's low key been very important this season, an underrated factor in the success of the team. He's patient, smart, takes care of the ball, makes his outside shots. All of these are things we don't currently have a surplus of.

He even tries on defense even though he has the legs of a 60 year old man. I never thought I'd see him closing out hard on shooters again, or going for blocks. But he's clearly doing it because everyone else is doing it... and he wants to belong. That is good. That's how a team works.

 

[avs2000]

I have no idea if Love wants to keep playing after his current contract runs out. But nobody wants to end their career in the type of atmosphere that existed before this season.

I think Koby should be praised for creating the kind of environment that clearly pulled Kevin back into the fold. He's low key been very important this season, an underrated factor in the success of the team. He's patient, smart, takes care of the ball, makes his outside shots. All of these are things we don't currently have a surplus of.

He even tries on defense even though he has the legs of a 60 year old man. I never thought I'd see him closing out hard on shooters again, or going for blocks. But he's clearly doing it because everyone else is doing it... and he wants to belong. That is good. That's how a team works.

Kevin is a future Hall of Famer
I am very glad to go out in a year or two playing the way he is now. Ant what happened the last year or two