Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love spent hours leading up to his birthday partying it up with the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James. The Cavs All-Star posted a picture of him along with his former teammate on Instagram in celebration of his 30th birthday with one of his closest friends in New York.
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Maybe Love got a free copy of NBA 2K19 from James, who is the featured athlete of this year’s 20th Anniversary Edition. After all, today marks the game’s release to all the gamers of the world that pre-ordered it. Even if he didn’t snag one, Love has plenty of other things to be excited about. He just inked a four-year $120 million deal for the Cavs, indicating that they want to make him the focal point of their offense this year.
The All-Star averaged 17.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game last year, missing significant time due to a broken hand. Love will be the face of a Cavs team in transition this year. Rather than rebuilding after losing James, they want to win now.
The last time Love was the go-to guy was during the 2013-14 season. He averaged 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists nightly for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Since joining the Cavs, Love hasn’t averaged over 20 points in a season. While his numbers over the last four seasons are nothing to scoff at, they don’t indicate what he’s capable of. Love’s return to a lead role this year should be a real treat.
This year’s Cavs will look a lot different than they did at the beginning of last year. James has joined the Lakers, and the team basically cleaned house to retool for a deep playoff run last season. Nevertheless, they’ll have a bevy of young talent to surround Love.
Collin Sexton was selected No. 8 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft and was one of the most explosive and exciting players in college basketball this past year. The 20-year-old will likely be tasked with running their offense this year. Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, Cedi Osman, and the high flying Larry Nance Jr. are all young players that have yet to reach their full potential. ESPN’s prediction expects the Cavs to finish outside of the playoff hunt, but their personnel is talented enough to contend for a postseason appearance.
Cavs Nation should be excited about the fast-paced brand of basketball they’ll see this year. Kevin Love still has some great years ahead of him at 30 years old.
