Cleveland Cavaliers Already Have the Answer to Their Kevin Love Problem

For two years, Kevin Love has been under the microscope in Cleveland, but his disappearance during these NBA Finals should tell us all we need to know about his future as a Cavalier.

Love is putting together a measly 8.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 29.0 minutes against the Golden State Warriors, converting at rates of just 37.1 percent from the field and 28.6 percent beyond the arc.

His lack of aggressiveness has trickled down from the offensive end into his rebounding and overall performance. A concussion suffered in Game 2 hasn't helped matters, but also can't be used to hide his poor showings beforehand, either. The Warriors' ability to go small and fast creates a poor matchup for Love, but the issues have run far deeper than that.

Love hasn't just taken a backseat to LeBron James and Kyrie Irving; he's barely clinging to the bumper.

If The Shoe Doesn't Fit...

Everyone has an opinion on why Love floats from periods of greatness to those of invisibility.

His usage in the offense has drifted between that of his glory days with the Minnesota Timberwolves to being nothing near zero, providing floor spacing for James and Irving to shine. 

Despite a drop in statistics the past two years, Love insists things are fine between him and the Cavs.

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"I mean, I've been asked to do different things, being here. I've been asked to be the second, third guy—third guy most nights," Love told ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin. "

"It hasn't been the easiest transition in the world, but as far as being a part of a family, this unit here, I've never been on a team that's closer than this. So that's why I don't understand when I hear people say I'm a square peg in a round hole or something like that."

This was nearly the exact sentiment NBA scouts shared about Love toward the end of the regular season, per Jeff Kasler of Amico Hoops.

"In Cleveland, the offense obviously doesn’t run through Kevin, and he’s a square peg in a round hole," noted one scout.

“Kevin also kind of rejects the idea that he’s a stretch 4 but, yeah, Kevin, you really are,” another scout said.

Against the Detroit Pistons during Round 1, Love was aggressive in his matchups with Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris, players he could use his size against. He put up a beautiful 18.8 points and 12.0 rebounds while knocking down 39.1 percent of his three-pointers.

During Round 2 vs. the Atlanta Hawks, Love slowly began transitioning out of the paint and back to the arc. His numbers were better (19.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 47.5 percent from deep), but it was clear that bad habits were creeping back in and his offensive contribution was becoming one-dimensional.

While just 37.9 percent of Love's shot attempts came from three against the Pistons, this ratio ballooned to 56.2 when facing Atlanta.

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Love first went missing when Cleveland needed him most on the road during the conference finals against the Toronto Raptors. In Games 3 and 4 north of the border, Love had a total of 13 points and 11 rebounds in 60 minutes on 5-of-23 shooting. The spotlight appeared a bit too bright.

A three-time All-Star, Love is at his best operating in the paint, on the elbow and occasionally spacing out. Now against the Warriors, a team the Cavaliers may face in the Finals again next year and beyond, Love has struggled to even justify court time.

The Golden (State) Measuring Stick

The only thing that matters in Cleveland is helping LeBron and the Cavs win a championship. So anyone not aiding that cause shouldn't be expected to last long.

Herein lies the problem with Love. He's obviously a talented individual who coach Tyronn Lue referred to as a top-10 player in the league. However, he's been awful in the Finals.

Love's net rating of minus-3.5 is the worst of all Cavaliers starters, while his scoring average of 8.8 points ranks fifth on the team. Even frontcourt mate Tristan Thompson, he of no observable offensive skill, is scoring 9.6 points a night. Love has as many turnovers (seven) as three-pointers (four) and assists (three) combined.

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When Love missed Game 3 due to a concussion, the Cavs won by 30 points, looking more comfortable and energized with 35-year-old Richard Jefferson in the starting lineup. Obviously, this is an issue.

For better or worse, it's a problem that Love recognizes, even dipping into the excuse pool in the process.

"You got to realize that in this series, a guy like myself and Channing (Frye), we're going to be neutralized," Love told McMenamin. "They guard the 3-point line really well. They switch. They thrive off double teams, and you have to be able to make the pass. It's tough. You have to run and play different ways with them, and they're a tough team to beat."

Offensively, Love has regressed to an almost unimaginable state, possibly due in part to his recovery from the concussion. During Game 5, with Irving and James each going for 41 points, Love scored just two without ever really looking for his own shot. This included stretches where the Warriors went small, using forwards like Harrison Barnes and Andre Iguodala in an attempt to cover him.

But it's not just his offense that's suffering either.

Love has pulled down double-digit rebounds in two of his last 10 games after going eight-for-eight to start the postseason. His aggressiveness appears in spurts, only to be overcome with negative body language and a lack of spirit.

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He's been a mess defensively as well. Per B/R Insights, Love has defended six post-ups this series; Golden State has scored 11 points on those possessions, good for 1.83 points per possession. In six isolation plays that Love has guarded, the Warriors have scored 10 points, good for 1.67 PPP.

Cleveland has to consistently hide him on defense, a formula the Warriors have successfully exploited with their ability to constantly make defenses switch. Golden State's efficient ball movement and screens often bring Love face to face with an opposing guard.

But isn't Love just supposed to be a third wheel and lesser piece like Chris Bosh was to LeBron and Dwyane Wade in Miami? That logic's flawed, because Bosh was and is a far better defender. Even if he occasionally disappeared from the offense, he could fill in other gaps (especially defensively) whereas Love continues to seemingly offer nothing more.

Bosh was a two-way player. Love is not.

Love has to be constantly accommodated and/or hidden. Bosh did not.

Love's Future

Yes, the Finals are still ongoing and talks about Love's future are far from the team's top priority at the moment. Yet there's no way general manager David Griffin hasn't at least gotten a feel from other teams about their interest in his power forward. Unless he puts together a pair of outstanding games and earns an NBA title, Love is likely all but gone from Cleveland.

The Cavs simply can't sit on their hands another summer, hoping that next year will finally be the one he fits in and produces consistent effort on both ends. James is 31 and could be making his seventh straight Finals trip next summer. The clock is ticking.

Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

Love, on the other hand, is still just 27 and presumably carries trade value. Moving his $21 million starting salary this summer shouldn't be hard, as most teams will have the cap space and potential openings for a (former) star in need of a fresh start. With what appears to be a weak draft class and free-agent market outside of Kevin Durant, desperate teams can save face by making a trade for Love.

Assuming the Cavaliers don't match dollar for dollar on the trade, they could end up with as much as $15 million in cap space, using estimates from Basketball-Insiders' salary numbers.

Griffin, (James?) and the Cavs will tinker with the roster until they can reach a cohesiveness from top to bottom. This may be the rare case where trading one great player for two good ones is a positive.

The Cavaliers need to look for another floor-stretching big to keep driving lanes open (think Ryan Anderson or Marvin Williams). Wing defense (P.J. Tucker or Nicolas Batum) is always a necessity, and a true shot-blocker (John Henson?) would be welcome as well.

With the NBA transitioning to a smaller and faster style of play, James' future may be at the power forward position, which would force the Cavs to bench Love or Thompson anyway. That's a lot of money to pay either reserve big, no matter who sits.

Love is a great player, but for whatever reason, we haven't seen his desire, passion or production, even on the NBA's biggest stage.

At this point, his trade value is still there. If Cleveland waits another year and the same problems persist, the asking price for him will inevitably drop. The Cavs must collect what they can for Love, surrounding James and company with better fitting parts.

Greg Swartz is the Cleveland Cavaliers Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @CavsGregBR. Stats via Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.