Despite playing behind the shadows of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving for so long, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar forward Kevin Love reiterates that he is still an All-Star that every team should be wary of. The 30-year old Olympic gold medalist says that, “It’s not like I forgot how to play basketball.”
Love joined the Reiter’s Block of CBS Sports and talked about how the Cavaliers’ mindset following the LeBron James era in The Land.
“It’s not like I forgot how to play basketball. I can score the ball at a high clip,” Kevin Love said. “But I’m gonna do whatever’s asked of me out there. I don’t expect to be top-five in scoring like I was, or even top-five in rebounding like I was. I’m looking to make the right play — I’m not setting those as goals, stats.”
Cavs fans are hoping that Love plays with a style and aggression reminiscent to his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the year before he was traded to the Cavaliers, Love finished 4th in scoring and 3rd in rebounding. He also finished with a career-high 4.4 assists, an impressive stat for a big man. But just like what Chris Bosh did when he joined James and Dwyane Wade in Miami, Love took the backseat and suddenly became the third scoring option for the Cavaliers.
Still, Love is a five-time All-Star, and is arguably still in his prime as he enters the 11th season of his career. Love is an underrated playmaker in the post, so look for the Cavaliers’ offensive system to play through Love’s strengths.