Kevin Love thinks ‘new challenge’ without LeBron James will make season ‘fun’

Following Tuesday morning’s shoot-around in Boston, Cavs All-Star Kevin Love spoke to reporters with regards to what this season will be like for his team without the services of LeBron James, who joined the Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason. Love knows the odds are stacked against the Cavs, but he says he and his teammates are prepared for the challenge.

“You know, I feel good,” Kevin Love told Yahoo Sports after Tuesday’s practice in Beantown. “It’s definitely going to be a challenge. It’s definitely going to be a growth year for us. We feel like if we’re in shape, if we play physical, if we shoot the ball well, we’re going to give ourselves a chance.”

If first impression are an indicator of what’s to come for Love and the Cavs this season, Tuesday night’s wire-to-wire preseason victory over the Celtics is certainly a good sign.

Love led the Cavs in scoring on Tuesday night, notching 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field (2-of-3 from beyond the arc), four rebounds, and one steal in 17 minutes of action.

Though LeBron James is gone, Love, who recently signed a four year, $120 million contract extension, seems ready to lead the Cavs to a fifth straight playoff appearance.

“Having seen it all, in a lot of cases done it all, it’s prepared me for something like this,” Love noted. “It’s definitely going to be a challenge for us. We’re going to have to scratch and fight for everything we get here. I think that will make it fun. It’s a new challenge.”

Love and the Cavs will be back in action on Saturday night, when they’ll welcome the Celtics to Quicken Loans Arena. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. EST with NBA TV having live broadcast coverage.