When Cleveland’s core came together, the big three of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love had to learn a fundamental skill: sharing. In order for everyone to produce at a high level, they need to feel comfortable in their role. The Cavaliers may have won a championship last year, but it wasn’t until this season all three have been confident about how they fit on this team.
LeBron is the best player in the world and has been in control of the Cavaliers since his return to Cleveland. His partner in crime, Kyrie Irving, is a scoring machine who can take anyone one-on-one. Both LeBron and Irving figured out how to play with each other within a matter of months. Love, on the other hand, struggled to find himself for his first two seasons in Cleveland.
In Love’s first season with the Cavaliers, he posted numbers his lowest number in points, rebounds, and field goal attempts per game since the 2010 season. Many worried about Love’s fit with the rest of the team as trade rumors surrounded him incessantly.
The Cavaliers entered the 2015 playoffs as the two-seed and matched up against the Boston Celtics. Love played well and seemed to be upping his productivity for the playoffs. However, in the adrenaline-filled moments of trying to avoid a sweep, Kelly Olynyk tore Kevin Love’s arm out of its socket while contesting for a loose ball, and suddenly Love’s season was finished. The Cavaliers went on to play the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals but lost in six games.
In the offseason, Love signed a five-year contract extension and returned for the 2015-16 season. Most NBA fans hoped he would increase his production with a whole year of team chemistry under his belt. However, in his second season with Cleveland, his production dropped even further with his points and field-goal percentage dropping to numbers below his 2014-15 season. Even in the Finals Love’s numbers were below par. Though Love did suffer from a concussion, his numbers were inexcusable posting only 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. If the Cavaliers had lost the finals, you can bet Love would have been the one to take the brunt of the blame because of those numbers.
This season, Kevin Love has figured out how to turn it all around. Whether it was the confidence of winning a championship, or the time to finally get the right balance of chemistry with his teammates, Love has learned how to be a star again. Love’s numbers have increased in almost every category this season. He earned his first All-Star appearance as a Cavalier and finished top ten in rebounds per game.
Much of Kevin Love’s success this season has come from the trust his coach, Ty Lue, has instilled in him. This season, Lue has given Love more post-up opportunities more frequently than in any other season with Cleveland. The post-up was Love’s bread and butter in Minnesota, and trusting Love to score at a high percentage from the post has paid off big time. According to NBA.com, Love shot over 50 percent from his two favorite post moves: the turnaround jump shot and the hook shot.
Love has also received more trust from his teammates and is ensuring them he has earned it. In 2015-16, Love played 17 more games than he did this season, however, according to NBA.com, this season he’s received one less assist from LeBron James, and 21 more assists from Kyrie Irving. His superstar teammates are giving him the ball much more often, and he’s converting.
Love’s playoff numbers this postseason have been head and shoulders above the last two, and he’s been absolutely decimating the Celtics. If the Cavaliers hope to repeat, Love will be a big part of the equation. Despite a poor finals performance last season, Love proved he has what it takes in the big moments. If he can show up like he did in the Finals, Golden State will have a lot on their plate on the defensive side of the ball.
