All Aboard the Love Train

LeBron James has officially moved on which means Kevin Love is now the only All-Star of Cleveland’s Big 3 still in a Cavs uniform. Love also just signed an extension that will keep him there through the 2022-2023 season. The extension proves that the Cavaliers front office sees him as being a cornerstone for their team for the foreseeable future. The question is: How will Kevin Love perform being the go to guy again?

When Love was leading his own team in Minnesota, he was not only one of the most dominant big men; but one of the most dominant players in the league. In his last three seasons at Minnesota (Not including the 2012-2013 season where he only played 18 games due to injury), Kevin Love ran all over his opponents. Over those three years he was named an All-Star in each of them, and All-NBA Second team twice (2011-12 and 2013-14). Love put up fantastic numbers as well, finishing fourth in the league in PPG twice (2011-12 and 2013-14). He was arguably the best rebounder in the league at the time as well, finishing top 3 in rebounds per game each year, including leading the league for the 2010-11 season. Though rebounds and points are two of the key components of Kevin Love’s game, perhaps the stat that proves his worth the most is win shares. He was top ten in the league in win shares in each of his last three seasons, including top five in his last two.

Love is four years older now, so no one quite knows if he will be the same player that he was in Minnesota or not. However, playing with LeBron and Kyrie have taken a load off Love’s shoulders these last few years. Love’s usage percentage was 1.4 percent lower in Cleveland than it was in Minnesota. Love was probably able to extend his prime a little bit by answering to LeBron and Kyrie for four years, but it’s his team now; and I think he is ready to show everyone what he can still do.