Why Kevin Love Is Primed for a Breakout Season in 2016-17

Published by

Brad Sullivan

10 years ago

Fine-Tuning the Spacing Issue

Against certain teams, Love’s presence at center is invaluable due to his ability to spread the offense. With big men trying to potentially guard him from the three-point line, the paint offers someone like James the freedom to romp through for monster dunks.

Given Love’s skills when it comes to passing, the ball’s most likely to end up there. If that creates a swarm of traffic to stop James, someone else becomes wide open. Either way, Love can get back to his final season statistics in Minnesota, when he averaged 4.4 assists per game. Those numbers have been sliced in half since arriving in Cleveland.

Accomplishing the Task

Love has a total of 84 double-doubles in his two seasons with the Cavaliers, including 11 in the postseason. That might not seem as if any growth is needed in his game, yet the pieces appear to be falling in place for him to do just that. A breakout season would help him reach the All-Star Game for the fourth time in his career and prime the Cavs for a run at their second consecutive NBA title.

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Brad Sullivan

Brad Sullivan is a lead writer for Cavaliers Nation. He has spent much of life in the Cleveland, Ohio area, and has remained a Cavalier fan from their 1970 beginnings through the return of LeBron James. While that fandom was sorely tested during the Reign of Error known simply by one word, Stepien, that overall historical perspective will be part of his writing for Cavaliers Nation in the months ahead.