The 2018 NBA Manifesto
Kevin Love
PF/C - 6’10, 251lbs - 29 years old - 10 years of experience
Love played a lot more five spot this season, which worked to begin with. In theory, he is more likely to have success from the perimeter against fives, and if opponents switch, this leaves the ball-handler (usually LeBron) with only a centre on them, which is a mismatch. This worked early on, despite Love’s career-long reluctance to try it – with Tristan Thompson out, it kind of had to.
Being at the five spot, though, makes Love the main defensive option around the basket. This is very much not optimal, especially on this Cavaliers team that had LeBron or Jeff Green at power forward when he was there, neither of which will do it either. Having bigger defenders on him also limited Love’s effectiveness on post touches; he would still make the little left baseline Js, but the hook shot gets much harder there.
If the Cavaliers could acquire someone like Dewayne Dedmon at the five spot, that would be interesting. Dedmon could be the primary interior defender, and also stretch the floor when Love is posting up, so as to avoid clogging up the paint with two posts. Tristan Thompson is not this player, Larry Nance is not this player, and LeBron James is not this player. Failing that, a big upgrade like DeAndre Jordan would also work; the sort of five man that Cleveland needs in order to shore up the defensive interior while keeping open the playbook is hard to find. Love provides a lot to this team, but in being increasingly unathletic, he is hard to flank.
If LeBron should leave, though, so should Love. At that point, why keep him?
Player Plan: Two years and $49,714,725 remaining, the last year of which is a player option. The right thing to do with him and his contract is dependent entirely on what LeBron chooses to do. So for now, it’s limbo. If LeBron does stay, I would be wary of moving Love for an extra creator; that extra creator is needed to go with Love, not instead of him.
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PF/C - 6’10, 251lbs - 29 years old - 10 years of experience
Love played a lot more five spot this season, which worked to begin with. In theory, he is more likely to have success from the perimeter against fives, and if opponents switch, this leaves the ball-handler (usually LeBron) with only a centre on them, which is a mismatch. This worked early on, despite Love’s career-long reluctance to try it – with Tristan Thompson out, it kind of had to.
Being at the five spot, though, makes Love the main defensive option around the basket. This is very much not optimal, especially on this Cavaliers team that had LeBron or Jeff Green at power forward when he was there, neither of which will do it either. Having bigger defenders on him also limited Love’s effectiveness on post touches; he would still make the little left baseline Js, but the hook shot gets much harder there.
If the Cavaliers could acquire someone like Dewayne Dedmon at the five spot, that would be interesting. Dedmon could be the primary interior defender, and also stretch the floor when Love is posting up, so as to avoid clogging up the paint with two posts. Tristan Thompson is not this player, Larry Nance is not this player, and LeBron James is not this player. Failing that, a big upgrade like DeAndre Jordan would also work; the sort of five man that Cleveland needs in order to shore up the defensive interior while keeping open the playbook is hard to find. Love provides a lot to this team, but in being increasingly unathletic, he is hard to flank.
If LeBron should leave, though, so should Love. At that point, why keep him?
Player Plan: Two years and $49,714,725 remaining, the last year of which is a player option. The right thing to do with him and his contract is dependent entirely on what LeBron chooses to do. So for now, it’s limbo. If LeBron does stay, I would be wary of moving Love for an extra creator; that extra creator is needed to go with Love, not instead of him.
