If Cleveland Cavaliers Aren't Right for Kevin Love, Who Is?
Much has been made of Kevin Love's supposed ill fit with the Cleveland Cavaliers this season.
While most have been quick to point out the problem, few have actually offered solutions.
If the championship-contending Cavaliers aren't the best match for Love, then which team is? After all, Love is still putting up big numbers, plays multiple roles and, above all else, is finally winning.
Thanks to the CBA structure, Love can also make more money in Cleveland than anywhere else. Regardless, few other franchises have the financial means to sign him this summer or next. Those that do would need to offer him a substantial role, star teammates, a chance to win a title and be from a large market. Those opportunities are extremely rare in the NBA today.
Are the Cavaliers really the best long-term fit for the All-Star forward, or can another team offer a better situation?
Potential Suitors
Only five real suitors for Love stick out when taking cap space, need for a power forward and market size into account.
The first, naturally, is the Cavaliers, but we'll get into them more later.
Love visited Boston last summer, famously meeting up with then-Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo. No deal ever materialized, and Rondo was later shipped off to the Dallas Mavericks.
There's a lot to like about the Celtics: they have a bright, young coach in Brad Stevens, there's some talent to build around in Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas and Jared Sullinger, and Boston traditionally rolls out championship teams.
Unfortunately, this appears to be far too similar a situation to the one Love fled with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Love would have to carry the scoring load and hope that the young nucleus would mature quickly. Boston is 34-41 this season and appears to be years away from contending for a title.
An intriguing option but ultimately a bad fit.
If Love doesn't mind staying in a small market, San Antonio would be a possibility.
There are a few scenarios at play here. First, will Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili retire? If not, will the Spurs even pursue Love? If so, will Love want to join a Duncan-less San Antonio? Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard would keep the playoff window open, but the Spurs would still be an older team on the decline.
With so many talented squads in the Western Conference, joining one that appears to be taking a step back could prove to be a poor decision.
Endorsements would be plentiful here, and having Carmelo Anthony on board means Love wouldn't have to go it alone.
The Knicks will be hungry to add star players this summer and will certainly kick the tires on Love.
For Love, this would be far too risky. The Knicks, under Phil Jackson's guidance, could get things turned around in a hurry. That being said, they have a long, long way to go.
New York is 14-61, which is the worst record in the NBA this season. Anthony and his troublesome knee have already shut things down, and the Knicks have few prospects and draft picks to build around.
There's an issue of playing style as well. Anthony, like Love, is a power forward who needs the ball in his hands. Unlike LeBron James, we've seen very few players want to suit up next to Anthony and his ball-dominant style.
Walking away from James and Irving to join Anthony and the rebuilding Knicks would be too much of a gamble.
Outside of Cleveland, Los Angeles remains the best option for Love.
He's a West Coast guy, spends free time in L.A. and attended UCLA. Kobe Bryant can pass the Lakers' legends torch while still putting in enough offense so that Love won't have to do it alone.
L.A. also has Julius Randle to pair with Love in the post and should cash in on a top draft pick this summer. An aging Bryant may not be the ideal teammate in a championship quest, but the Lakers have always successfully paired stars together.
The problem with Los Angeles, is that Love apparently doesn't want to play there, even if given the chance to one day team up with Russell Westbrook. Even if he did, a risk would still be involved given Bryant's age and injury history.
Twice this season, Love has publicly denied that he's interested in going to L.A. The first time came back in November, via Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
"Kevin Love denied a report he’s interested in joining the Lakers next season while poking fun at all the attention his handshake with Kyrie Irving has received.
'Whatever we were doing with our hands was about as true as me going to the Lakers,' Love said Friday. 'Going to the Lakers, I don’t know where someone got that.'
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The next instance came following a game in February, when he was asked about his interest level in joining the Lakers.
Love will certainly be wined and dined this offseason if he wants to be.
As frustrating as this season may have been at times, it's probably best for both parties that Love remains in Cleveland.
Love and the Cavaliers Are Good Now...
Love is actually having a really good year with the Cavs.
He's averaging 16.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.9 made three-pointers per game. He and Detroit Pistons forward Greg Monroe are the only players in the NBA this season averaging over 16 while attempting fewer than 13 shots. Love is the only player to average double digits in rebounding and at least one three-pointer.
These stats are key for Cleveland. The Cavaliers need Love to battle under the glass while still stepping out to the three-point line in order to stretch the offense and create driving lanes. With Anderson Varejao out with a season-ending Achilles injury, the Cavs have just one player besides Love—Tristan Thompson—ranked in the league's top 35 rebounders.
Love is far too good a rebounder to be labeled a stretch 4. He's averaged 11.9 boards a game over a seven-year career, even leading the NBA back in 2010-11 with 15.2 a night. When Love first came into the league, he primarily played below the basket. Through hard work on his body and game, Love slowly stretched his range out to the three-point line.
His outside shooting has become more and more reliable as the season's gone along. In 52 games before the All-Star break, Love connected on 34.5 percent of his three-point attempts. In the 18 games since, he's up to 40.4.
His outside presence has made a big impact on James as well. James shoots 51 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from deep with Love on the court, compared to just 44.8 and 29.6 when Love sits, per NBA.com. James' assists, steals and blocks per 100 possessions all go up with Love beside him. James' turnovers also drop when he's alongside Love.
While it's true Love's scoring has dropped significantly since last season, one has to consider the context. James and Kyrie Irving are averaging almost 48 points per game between them. J.R. Smith can go for 20 on any given night. Even Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert and Tristan Thompson can contribute as needed on offense.
Franchises don't need three 20-plus points-per-game scorers to be successful. During the Spurs' championship season in 2013-14, Tony Parker led the team with 16.7. Love isn't far behind that average, even as the Cavalier's third scoring option.
Love has sacrificed his personal stats, said all the right things and is making a large impact on the Cavs in multiple areas.
As much as Cleveland needs Love, he'd be wise to stay as well.
...And Even Better in the Future
From a career standpoint, Love is in a good spot.
First and foremost, the Cavaliers are winning. Cleveland is 28-9 since mid-January—the best record in the NBA. They currently sit at No. 2 in the Eastern Conference and secured a playoff berth in March.
For Love, this will be his first trip to the postseason after trying so hard to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves there for six years.
The pressure of carrying a team is tremendous. Love couldn't do it. Anthony has arguable failed in that role. Even Bryant struggled to carry the Lakers in the time between Shaquille O'Neal and Pau Gasol.
Love and Irving were both respectively tasked with reviving their struggling franchises. Each year resulted in a trip to the lottery.
James changes all of this. Suddenly, the burden of leading a team is gone. If the Cavaliers ultimately don't win the title this season, it will be more of a hit on James' legacy than Love's.
Players have flocked to the Miami Heat and Cavaliers to join James, something not every superstar can say. Guys such as Ray Allen, Shane Battier, Shawn Marion, Mike Miller and Kendrick Perkins picked Miami or Cleveland over other teams strictly for James, often sacrificing millions of dollars in the process.
They know that James not only makes the game easier for everyone, but that he represents their best chance at a championship as well.
Love has to recognize that no other player in the NBA gives him a better opportunity to win.
Love's position with the Cavaliers is extremely flexible. There are nights when he's been featured as a stretch-4. There have been others when he has been an inside post scorer.
Despite popular theory, Love has seemingly been fitting in better and better with the Cavs, as evidenced by a recent road win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Love was used all over the court, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in a 111-89 Cleveland victory. As head coach David Blatt told Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group:
"Kevin was terrific. I just thought we were able to mix it up for him inside and outside, and he responded beautifully. He really worked hard to get his spots on the floor. He made his plays when he had the opportunity to and he facilitated extremely well for others when the situation called for it.
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Defensively, Love is never going to win any awards. With the Cavaliers, he doesn't have to.
Cleveland now has the personnel to cover any deficiencies Love has on the defensive end. Mozgov is a 7'1", rim-protecting center who can take on the opponent's biggest, most difficult cover. James is still a good defender at small forward and is quick enough to provide a double team as needed.
Minnesota couldn't offer this protection—and most teams today won't, either.
Thanks to years of stat-stuffing with the Timberwolves, Love has established himself as a max player and will eventually be compensated as such. He doesn't need to justify a big contract with the Cavaliers, something he may feel pressure to do if he's asked to carry another franchise.
Love is slowly growing more and more comfortable in Cleveland. The team is a serious championship contender and should be for the next four or five years.
Leaving now for a rebuilding franchise would put Love right back where he began. The pressure to succeed would even be greater, and choosing to not play with one of the best NBA players of all time is a decision that would end up haunting Love.
The Cavaliers continue to offer amenities no other team can and are absolutely the right choice for Love, both now and long term.
Greg Swartz has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers and NBA for Bleacher Report since 2010.
All stats provided by Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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