When the Cavs and Celtics completed the swap of Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas (and more), much of the analysis was about how the two point guards would fit with their new teams. For Irving, he was stepping into a spot where he’d be the top scoring option, as he wanted, but still has two star-level talents around him in Gordon Hayward and Al Horford.
In Cleveland, the question is more when Isaiah Thomas will be able to take over the Cavs’ offense and how he’ll look than anything. While we don’t know the answer to that question, one thing is very clear, until Thomas gets back (and even when he’s back) more of the offensive load will be falling on Kevin Love in Irving’s absence.
Love, since joining the Cavs in 2014, has not been as productive as he was in Minnesota where he was a three-time All-Star and averaged 26 points per game twice. Love’s usage and, thus, his production dropped when he joined LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, as he became the clear third option. Last year was Love’s best season in Cleveland, averaging 19 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, while also being his highest usage season (26.4 percent) since joining the Cavs.
That has people in Cleveland optimistic that he’ll be ready to take over a bigger load this season, and coach Tyronn Lue is among those predicting a big year from Love, as he told ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently.
“Kevin is going to have the best year that he’s had here,” Tyronn Lue, Cleveland’s coach, told ESPN.com this week. “I thought he was great anyway. You keep bringing up Bosh. What did Bosh average in Miami? Kevin averaged almost 20 [points] and 10 [rebounds] with two other All-Stars. If you are on a championship-caliber team, you have to sacrifice. But this year is going to be a big opportunity for him. We’re going to play through him more. He’s going to get those elbow touches again.”
It’s clear that Lue sees Love as the key to moving forward in a post-Kyrie era in Cleveland. Where, at least until Thomas gets back, LeBron can take on the load as primary ball-handler, Love’s passing ability makes him a unique big man in being able to help mitigate the loss of Irving on the court. Love has averaged 2.2 assists per game in Cleveland, just a tick under the 2.5 he averaged in Minnesota career, but his final season with the Wolves he averaged 4.4 dimes per night, a big number for a high-usage big.
Getting Love the ball on the elbow more, as Lue noted they will do, gives him the chance to be a floor general from a comfortable spot, surveying the court and looking to find open teammates. Love returning to that kind of passing production that he peaked at in his final season in Minnesota may be tough, but don’t be surprised when his offensive impact on the Cavs this season is far greater than simply scoring more points.
