By Zach Braziller
Kevin Love’s standing with the Cavaliers is so tenuous, when a team meeting was called to announce the firing of coach David Blatt on Friday, the players initially thought Love was being traded.
That nugget, coming from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, is just an example of Love’s questionable status with the Cavaliers. Love’s relationship with LeBron James has been scrutinized since he was traded to Cleveland from Minnesota two seasons ago for superstar-in-the-making Andrew Wiggins.
But Love’s play on the court is the real issue, after signing a five-year, $110 million deal this offseason following a poolside meeting with James. Blatt’s firing — from a team he coached to a 30-11 record — shows just how much pressure is on the team and James to win a championship this season.
Love is averaging 15.6 points per game, his lowest figure since his second season in the league. He’s getting to the free throw line a career-low 4.0 times per game. His shooting percentage (41) is the second-lowest of his career and his minutes (32.4) are his third-lowest.
“We’ll use Kevin however he wants to be used,” James said Oct. 29, after Love had 17 points and 13 rebounds in a 106-76 rout over the Grizzlies.
“I told you Kevin is going to be our main focus. He’s going to have a hell of a season. He’s going to get back to that All-Star status.”
Based on the numbers, it does not appear Love has lived up to James’ hype on offense, but the power forward’s always-suspect defense may be the biggest issue.
During the Cavaliers’ embarrassing 132-98 loss to the Warriors last week, Love’s pick-and-roll defense was ridiculed on social media. On one play, he was beyond out of position, resulting in an Andrew Bogut alley-oop tip-in. Draymond Green torched him to the tune of 16 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. It didn’t get much better Saturday night in new coach Tyronn Lue’s debut: The Bulls repeatedly targeted Love and hammered the Cavs in the paint, led by Pau Gasol’s 25 points and 10 rebounds.
There is a positive in here for Love, however. Lue plans to use him more at the elbows, where he was so successful in Minnesota, either scoring or distributing. In Cleveland, he’s played more off the ball, working off of James or Kyrie Irving. And that hasn’t worked out so well for him.
http://nypost.com/2016/01/25/will-kevin-love-be-next-to-go-from-lebrons-cavaliers/?ref=yfp
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