Prior to the start of this season, Cavs fans had high hopes for their team. Yes, LeBron James took his talents to Hollywood, but there was still a level of excitement building around rookie point guard Collin Sexton and Kevin Love, who signed a four-year, $120 million extension in July. Within just a few weeks, though, it became evident that Cleveland would not be a playoff contender.
There have been several contributing factors in the Cavs’ shortcomings this season, including a plethora of injuries and over 25 lineup changes. Had Cleveland managed to stay healthy, though, Love believes they would have been a playoff contender:
“Had we been healthy, we would’ve been able to make some noise,” Love told FOX Sports Ohio during Thursday’s shootaround. “I really do think that had we started putting things together and had our guys out there, we could’ve potentially made some noise in the East and competed for a playoff spot.”
Love, now 30 years of age, missed much of this season due to a big toe injury but has since recovered. In 14 appearances (all starts), the former UCLA standout has racked up averages of 18.6 points on 38.6 percent shooting from the field (39.6 percent from beyond the arc), 11.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 27.3 minutes per outing.
Whether or not the Cavs (17-51 overall) would have made the playoffs is up for debate, but they have rattled off a few impressive wins, including a 126-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors earlier this week.
Cleveland’s next shot at claiming a victory comes on Thursday night, when they’ll face off against the Orlando Magic. Tip-off inside the Amway Center is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
