Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Love has been playing well this season and is one of the reasons the Cleveland Cavaliers have surprisingly become playoff contenders.
It is a far cry from how Love had been in the past couple of years, sulking and looking like he was going to leave the team. Recently, he revealed that his happiness level is “very high” while also speaking glowingly regarding the current Cavs team.
“My happiness level is very high. It’s different than 2016 though,” Love told Cleveland.com. “When you win at that level, there’s nothing like it. I think 2016 was probably the best year of my life. But there’s just no preparing yourself to go from being on a championship-level team, winning a championship and going to the Finals four years in a row and then having to completely restart. Being around these guys is awesome. Great dudes. Unbelievable character guys. Being part of this has brought so much joy. It’s really fun.”
After LeBron James left the Cavs in the 2018 offseason, the team transformed from a perennial championship contender into a lottery team in the East. It finished near the bottom of the conference for three consecutive seasons.
However, the organization has turned things around in a big way this season. It is now on track to reach the postseason for the first time since James left in 2018.
Love has been instrumental in the Cavs’ strong showing in this campaign. He is averaging 13.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.5 3-pointers per contest. The five-time NBA All-Star has also embraced a new role as the team’s sixth man. This is the first time that Love has played primarily off the bench since his sophomore season in the league.
Cleveland is currently 36-27, which is good enough for sixth in the Eastern Conference. The team actually held a higher seed in early February, but it has lost six of its last seven games, resulting in a drop in the standings.
The Cavs have a chance to turn things around when they face the Toronto Raptors at home on Sunday.
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