Cleveland Cavaliers: Kevin Love needs to be more aggressive in 2017-18

After losing Kyrie Irving, the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to need a much more aggressive Kevin Love in 2017-18

Calling Kevin Love “a bust” is one hell of an understatement. Here’s a guy that was considered a top 5 NBA playing when he was a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Or rather, when he WAS the Timberwolves.

While Love has had some good moments in Cleveland, he still hasn’t come anywhere near meeting his expectations. He was never a great defender, that much was obvious. But why has his field goal percentage plummeted while playing with two elite NBA talents? Shouldn’t have Irving and LeBron’s presence created more space and better looks for love?

In his five seasons with Minnesota, Kevin Love shot 45 percent or better from the field (47 percent from the field in 2010). In his three seasons in Cleveland, he has shot just 43, 42, and 43 percent respectively.

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Why, you ask? Quite frankly, Cleveland doesn’t utilize his elite post skills. If you’re ever looking for Love in the middle of a Cavs’ game, you can find him posted up on the corner waiting for someone to feed him an open 3.

I’m not going to post one of those charts showing every one of his missed shots with tiny red x’s and green circles – that stuff drives me crazy. But I will provide you with one simple statistic that summarizes Love’s underachieving tenure in Cleveland.

During his tenure with the T-Wolves, only 23 percent of Love’s field goal attempts were 3-pointers. That number has skyrocketed to 37 percent in Cleveland. So basically, 40 percent of Love’s field goals are 3’s, and most of his two-point attempts are usually mid-range jumpers.

In is prime, Love was an elite post player, banging in the paint and showing a deft touch around the paint. Love may have been a good shooter, but that was never his strength. Love could beat you with hook shots, step-backs, fadeaways, pump fakes…you name it. Allow me to quote Kevin Love in his own words from a couple years ago.

"[via Cleveland.com]“I heard some people calling me that but I know I’m not a stretch-four,” Love told NEOMG. “I’m a post player who can shoot. Right now I’m just doing what I’m called to do. For good, bad or indifferent, I’m playing my role and doing what’s asked of me. Tonight, I stayed out on the perimeter.”"

This was in 2015, but nothing has changed since. The Cleveland Cavaliers need Love now more than ever. Irving is gone and Isaiah Thomas is likely going to miss a couple months of the regular season, at least.

LeBron is probably too ball dominant to get Love many looks in the paint. Bosh had this problem as well. King James is the best player in the NBA and it’s smarter for the Cavs to clear the paint for LeBron to drive the lane for scores or kicks. But Love may be able to find his old confidence when LeBron is sitting on the bench.

Kevin Love should be their go-to option which maybe help him find his old scoring touch. If that happens, it would create easier looks for James and could lead to the “inside-outside game” everyone envisioned when Love first signed for the Cavs. Okay lets be real, Love will probably bust again but I still would like to see him get more looks in the post.

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