Kevin Love’s Frustration is Easy to Understand
By Dan Schultz
@DSchultz89
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Love was notably frustrated during last night’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ big man only attempted one shot in a closely contested fourth quarter and finished with only 10 points on 12 shot attempts for the game. Afterwards, Love voiced his concerns to the media, saying:
“It’s come to a point where I’m just trying to find myself in this offense,” Love said after his lowest scoring output this season. “It’s almost related to when you come into the league; usually the guys that dominate the ball so much tend to learn a lot quicker than a guy like myself, a big man. So, I’m just trying to find different spots in the offense. I’ll just say we’re 10 games in, we’re looking at different stuff. I need to find myself.
I think everybody knew coming in that we’d have to sacrifice, but at some point we’re going to need some low-post scoring and some outside shooting. Both ends of the floor, I think I need to step up, but as far as getting into a rhythm, it’s been tough.”
Love is currently averaging 16.7 PPG and 10.4 RPG, but is only shooting 39% from the field as he has struggled to get comfortable in a new offense that concentrates mainly on perimeter shooting and hard cuts to the rim.
He is hardly the biggest reason why the Cavaliers are off to a rough start this season, but in order for them to become the feared behemoth many envisioned, he is going to need to become the 20/10 double-double threat that he was for his old team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In order for Love to be best utilized, head coach David Blatt must focus more on drawing up more post-up isolation plays for him. Love is a talented outside shooter who can stretch the floor, but so far a lot of the offense has gone through LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. In order for the Cavaliers to find the balance they are looking for on offense, they must concentrate more on back to the basket opportunities for one of the best forwards in the league in Love.
At the same time, Love must be ready to accept this responsibility and stop wandering around the perimeter as much as he has been so far. The Cavaliers usually have enough shooters on the floor to give him the proper space he needs in order to operate down low. This is the primary reason why the Cavaliers traded for him in the summer.
The Cavaliers are 5-5 and not that many people are surprised considering we saw this exact situation unfold with the Miami Heat during the first season of the “Big Three” in 2010-2011. They will make the proper adjustments in order to become a title contender, and it starts with giving Love more touches in the post.
Dan Schultz is an NBA sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @dschultz89. “Like” him on Facebook and add him on Google.
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