Kevin Love And Role Playing

The Cleveland Cavaliers are set to receive their rings and officially begin defending their NBA Championship in just one week’s time. While the Indians are in the throes of the MLB Playoffs and the Browns are full throttle on their way to Tanksville, WFNY will take the next several days to preview the storylines that surround the Wine and Gold.

Kevin Love doesn’t give a shit.  Of course, he explained it with a bit more tact, telling our own Scott Sargent’s virgin ears, “Frankly, I don’t give a shit.”

The thing is, he’s lying.

What he means by not giving a you-know-what, is that he gives a whole pile of you-know-whats. Kevin Love gives so many you-know-whats, that he was willing to go from high-scoring first option to the third and sometimes fourth option on a contender.  And for that, he’s gotten a whole bunch of you-know-what.

That isn’t to ignore Kevin Love’s imitation of Keith Moon in the constant drum of rumors and speculation. A high-profile trade and a looming free agency created the perfect storm of expectations during Love’s first season in Cleveland, but it was his own poor performance that kept his name on the rumor mill’s radar. And if his performance was poor, his body language has been eating Ramen noodles and stealing his neighbor’s WiFi. As he told Complex in 2015, “I knew coming in I would have to sacrifice. There’ve been times where maybe I’ve fought it.”

The fight over Kevin Love’s role and level of sacrifice has played out publicly through a trading of jabs with teammate LeBron James. The now infamous “FIT-OUT” Tweet, Love’s choice of Russell Westbrook over LeBron James as MVP, and Love’s admission that he and LeBron were “not best friends” have provided the internet with enough fuel to keep the hot takes burning for two years. But this relationship between LeBron and Love has done more than drive clicks; it has allowed the Cavs to do so, as well.

For all of the talk about Love’s fit and individual numbers with the Cavaliers, his presence has been a constant positive for the team. The team’s net rating in the 2014-2015 season increased from +7.8 points per 100 possessions with Love off of the court, to +10.6 with him on the floor. The Golden State Warriors led the league that year at +11.4. This past season the number went from +9.3 to +11.7, better than the Warriors’ +11.6 and just behind the league-leading San Antonio Spurs’ +11.8.

A major reason for this improvement is how Kevin Love unlocks the full potential of LeBron James when they share the court.

No one played more minutes with LeBron James last season than Kevin Love. He and J.R. Smith rarely saw the court without the King present.

Kevin Love’s role seems to be almost completely centered on allowing the best player on the planet to play at the highest level. It’s more than just the minutes played next to LeBron, it’s also how often Love is looking to get the ball into his hands. For two consecutive years, no one has looked for LeBron with more frequency than Kevin Love.

And it works. LeBron’s shooting numbers when he shares the court with Kevin Love improve significantly. In 2015-2016, LeBron shot 56 percent from the field and 37 percent from three on passes from Kevin Love, compared to his overall season averages of 52 percent and 31 percent, respectively.

Floor-spacers have always unlocked LeBron’s game, and Kevin Love has been key to that in Cleveland. Players like Love draw defenders to the perimeter and allow LeBron the space to live at the rim. You can see below that when Love is on the court, LeBron scores a higher percentage of points in the paint. But Love’s presence on the court helped LeBron get easier shots in other ways, as well. For two consecutive seasons LeBron has scored a higher percentage of his points off of turnovers and on fast breaks with Kevin Love on the court launching full-court bombs.

Perhaps the most striking number is how often LeBron’s shots are assisted with Love on the court. Kevin Love’s presence on the court doesn’t only open up the lane for LeBron to get to the rim, it allows LeBron to work off the ball and get easier shots within the offense.

These aren’t the types of arguments that will help get Kevin Love in the Hall of Fame, or even out of every trade rumor. We’ll all continue to look at Love’s numbers and argue about his fit and his role, living in a fantasy-sport world where his 26 points and 12.5 rebounds in Minnesota are the only way he can be considered successful in Cleveland.¹

But as long as LeBron James remains the best player on the planet, the Cavs will need him to put them on his broad, tattooed shoulders. The idea of surrounding LeBron with superstars that can carry a larger load is great in theory, and we may be seeing that come to fruition with Kyrie Irving. But when things get tough, The Chosen One’s size-15 footprints will always be the only ones in the sand.

No one sacrificed more individually than Kevin Love, and that sacrifice allowed the group to reach the pinnacle of the sport. We’ll likely never see Love approach his averages in Minnesota, but we’re very likely to see him with that championship belt thrown across his shoulder again.

And if that’s still not enough for some people, I don’t think he gives a shit.

1. Ed. Note: Which is beyond dumb. [↩]