Kevin Love went from an All-Star season in 2016-17, his best in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform, to an injury-plagued one in 2017-18, missing 23 games after seemingly regaining his shooting rhythm midway through the season for the Cavs.
The long-tenured big man also had to entertain a request by coach Tyronn Lue, an experiment to play at center, out of his comfort zone — one that didn’t last long at all.
“I’ve been through enough for a guy who has been here for 12 years,” Love told Tom Withers of the Associated Press following a recent practice. “It’s been well worth it.”
Love’s transition into a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey wasn’t an easy one, previously the go-to scorer in a Minnesota Timberwolves team that would always find itself short of the postseason.
“It’s been a learning experience,” said Love. “I came in averaging 25 (points) and 10 (rebounds) and was the man and right on the cusp of the playoffs. And then I was supposed to win a championship and I was trying to figure all that out with two ball-dominant guys and it was a process.”
“It was tough for me. Not only that, I was trying to learn so much with trying to be able to deal with what’s sometimes called a circus around here, that sort of thing.”
Love’s stats came crashing down as hard after he crashed the boards in Minnesota, having posted a career-high 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds per game in his last year at the Twin Cities. Those numbers took a massive dip during his first year in Cleveland, posting 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds in 2014-15.
Lue has re-assured him every step of the way, through the injuries, the setbacks, and shooting struggles.
“I told him, ‘just be yourself, have fun.” said Lue, who missed time this season with his own health issues, “‘You’re one of the best players in the league. You make a lot of money. Relax.’”
Love will take that advice into this fourth go-around at the NBA Finals, first needing to be cleared through the concussion protocol to take place in Game 1 of the series.
