Still No Love For Kevin Love

It is a yearly rite of passage for Cleveland professional basketball fans. Each and every year after the playoffs end, there are those who talk about trading Kevin Love.

And we keep thinking that mostly, this makes no sense.

Yes, Love is injury prone, the most games he has ever played in a season with the Cavaliers is 77, and that was in his first year here. He played 75 the following season, and from there it has gone downhill: 60, 59, and last season, 21, although he could have played more if the Cavs were trying to make the playoffs.

And yes, the game has evolved too, and the sport where Love once averaged 26 points and almost 13.5 rebounds per contest is no longer being played. Teams want big men who can defend on the perimeter now, to contest the three point shot, and that isn’t Love’s strength, although he does make an effort.

However, Love is still unquestionably the Cavaliers best player. Shooting a career low 38.5% from the floor, he still scored 17 points and grabbed almost 11 boards per game.

Part of that came from getting to the free throw line with a greater frequency (5.2 per game) than he ever did wearing the wine and gold, his best figure since his last year with Minnesota (8.2 per game).

Many people forget that Love has two second team All NBA honors during his career, which is one more than Kyrie Irving, who made second team this season, and a third team honor with the Cavs.

These “experts” think there is only one way to build an NBA team these days, and that is by tanking and being successful in the draft. Of course, there is plenty of evidence to the contrary as Golden State and Toronto, who have won the last three titles, have not tanked to win.

We aren’t saying we would keep Love under any circumstance, in fact, there are very few players in that category, LeBron James being one of them.

For example, the Cavs were said to entertain offers for Irving after the 2016 season, because if then GM David Griffin could have improved the team in a deal for the former first overall pick, then he absolutely should do that.

We understand Love makes a lot of money, but if Cleveland get under the cap, which they will even with Love on the roster heading into the 2020-21 season, they aren’t attracting big name free agents.

The Cavs played much better when Love was on the floor a year ago, so why not let Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, Ante Zizic, and the three rookies, Darius Garland, Dylan Windler, and Kevin Porter Jr. play with a still very good player and learn good habits from a five time all star?

If you can make a trade that decidedly helps the franchise, then by all means, make the deal.

For example, we keep hearing Portland as a destination. Then 22-year-old seven footer Zach Collins would have to be involved along with at least one unprotected first round draft pick, preferably after the 2020 draft.

Getting a young big and a future first rounder can make a positive impact for Cleveland.

And if Kawhi Leonard winds up with the Lakers, it would be surprising to see anyone make a huge offer for Love.

If he doesn’t, we still think Love has more value at the trade deadline, where someone can use him, providing he is healthy, as a chip to put them over the top.

Until Koby Altman gets “wowed” with a deal, there is no reason to trade the best player on the team. Unless that player is about to be a free agent, or causing a problem in the locker room, there usually never is.

Cavs Add More Shooting, And That’s A Good Thing.

When LeBron James was with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the idea was to surround him with shooters, players who needed to be defended on the perimeter so James had driving lanes to the basket.

The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t follow that blueprint last year, but that’s another story for another time.

That theory was before the sport and the people who build teams within it started to embrace the three point shot, and that revolution culminated in Golden State’s three titles in four years, the first centering around the long range shooting of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

While the 2018-19 Cleveland Cavaliers were a bad team, finishing 19-63, they did rank 13th in the league in three point shooting, led by Nick Stauskas’ 43% mark, while recently retired Channing Frye and rookie Collin Sexton both hit 40%.

Last week, the Cavs adding even more shooting drafting Darius Garland, Dylan Windler, and Kevin Porter Jr. in the first round of the NBA Draft.

Garland only played five games at Vanderbilt, but made 11 of 23 attempts from beyond the college three point line, and he hit 75% of his free throws.

And at his workout for the Cavs in Los Angeles, apparently he put on an incredible shooting exhibition from long distance. We can’t wait to see his range when the exhibition games start.

Windler, a four year player from Belmont, shot 40.6% from three throughout his college career, and the last two seasons, hit 42.6% and 42.9% from long range respectively. He was also a career 76.1% maker from the line, with a high of 84.7% last season.

Porter also made more than 40% of his long distance shots in his abbreviated college career (he played just 21 games), making 28 of 68 attempts. Unfortunately, he hit only 52% of his free throws, a figure that has to improve in the pros.

As they say, the NBA is a make or miss league, and it looks as though the Cavaliers got a few more guys who can make shots. We have always said, anyone can be a shooter, what you really need are makers.

The next part of the puzzle is to add size, which Cleveland has seemed to ignore over the past five years.

Outside of Ante Zizic, the wine and gold really don’t have a legitimate big man, although we have yet to see John Henson.

Kevin Love is 6’10” and has been miscast at center at times, but he’s a scorer and rebounder, not really a rim protector or a defensive force inside.

Tristan Thompson is a good defender and rebounder, particularly on the offensive end, but he is very limited offensively, and is still just 6’9″.

Larry Nance Jr. has incredible hops, so he can block shots, but he’s struggles to handle bigger players in the post.

We understand that the game has evolved and throwing the ball in the post is no longer needed to be successful, but having players who demand double teams near the basket helps.

Love does, but that’s probably it at this point.

We would like to see Koby Altman add another bigger player before the season starts. With all the shooters he is bringing in, that could be very important.

Cavs Draft A Trio Of First Rounders

The Cleveland Cavaliers went with the best player available theory in last night’s NBA Draft taking Darius Garland, a 6’2″ guard from Vanderbilt.

Many experts had Garland going higher in mock drafts, mostly at #4 to the Los Angeles Lakers, before they dealt the choice to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis proposed transaction.

As it stands, the Cavs will use a very small backcourt when they pair Garland with last year’s first pick, Collin Sexton.

Garland also played just five games for Vandy before injuring his knee, but he probably has more point guard instincts than Sexton, and probably is a better shooter than he was when he came into the league last season.

The problem could be on the defensive end, playing two guards who are both short. And we know the wine and gold have had issues on that end of the floor since winning the championship in 2016.

It’s not a bad pick, because the Cavs went with talent, it’s just difficult to see a fit, particularly when they could’ve chosen Jarrett Culver, a 6’6″ defensive minded guard, or a 6’5″ combo guard in Coby White.

New coach John Beilein is said to be intrigued with playing the duo or Sexton and Garland together, but as we have said before most of the players taken last night can score, where they are drafted comes down often to how they fit in the league defensively.

Contrary to what we thought, the Cavaliers stayed at #26 and selected a pure shooter, 6’7″ Dylan Windler from Belmont.

Windler is 23 years old, so what he is now is what he is, but he has a quick release and can certainly fill it up. He’s a good athlete, but isn’t known for his defensive prowess. He’s one of those guys who is constant movement on offense, hustles for loose balls, and plays off the ball well.

He seemed like a good fit for Golden State, where several mock drafts had him headed.

Then, GM Koby Altman took a bold step in moving four second round picks to Detroit to get back in the first round to take Kevin Porter Jr., who about six weeks ago was projected to be in the lottery.

Porter is a guy who probably should have stayed in college for one more year, because he has a lot to work on, but no question he is talented. If he can connect with Beilein though, and is open to coaching, he could wind up being a very good player.

It’s a great risk because of his upside, and the Cavs didn’t really give up a heck of a lot.

There were two things the Cavaliers didn’t do last night, though.

First, they didn’t cash in the JR Smith chip. Smith has to be moved by the end of the month for other teams to take advantage of his unique contract, so expect another trade by then.

Second, they still ignored height. They drafted a point guard and two wings, and we still feel they have a shortage of big men on the roster. True, they will get John Henson back, but that will give them only three players over 6’10”: Ante Zizic, Kevin Love, and Henson.

The latter two missed considerable time last season.

Let’s hope that is also on Altman’s agenda.

You never know with rookies, but the Cavs picked three players who have skills that are desired in today’s NBA.

Now we will have to see how it plays out when training camp starts in September. At the very least, the Summer League should be exciting.