Kevin Love Won't Play vs. Clippers After Shoulder Injury Diagnosed as Soreness

Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love will not play in Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers because of left shoulder soreness, according to Cavs.com's Joe Gabriele.

David Nwaba is expected to start in Love's place.

Injuries have taken their toll on Love, especially during his time in Cleveland. Since joining the Cavs back in 2014, the 6'10", 251-pound big man has gone under the knife for shoulder, knee and toe injuries while also having to deal with hand issues as well as a concussion.

He underwent toe surgery back on Nov. 2 and wound up missing 50 games as a result. When he returned to the court on Feb. 8, he did so with a minutes restriction.

Even though injuries have affected Love's career, he remains a productive player when he is on the court. The five-time All-Star is averaging 17.6 points and 11.2 rebounds in 21 games this season.

Love's presence in Cleveland had the Cavs believing they could compete in the post-LeBron James 2.0 era. In fact, despite his injury history, the team believed he could once again be the face of a franchise, giving him a four-year, $120 million extension during the summer.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, Love was hurt just four games into the season—and he wouldn't return for more than three months. Even when he was back on the court, the organization limited his minutes and prevented him from playing in both ends of back-to-backs.

Cleveland (19-57) will be battling for draft positioning down the stretch, so it makes little sense to play Love at this point if he is not healthy.