By Dan Ferrara, NBA International
NBA players will often say that winning a championship is their ultimate goal, but just how far will they go to capture that elusive title?
While many aging veterans without championship rings frequently latch onto superstars with the hopes of winning, it’s a different scenario altogether when stars align to form a super group to chase the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Such is the case for Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, who has personified sacrifice through his first two years in Cleveland, making the necessary adjustments to become a third option behind LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. It certainly isn’t an easy transition going from a star to taking a back seat to two other players, but if it means bringing Cleveland its first championship in franchise history, then the journey will certainly prove to be worth it.
After being traded to Cleveland for a package headlined by former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins, Love had essentially a one-year tryout with no commitment to the Cavs long-term. After that season, he signed a five-year, $110 million contract, proving that he was committed to winning even if his individual numbers took a significant hit.
“I’m going back to Cleveland,” Love wrote on The Players’ Tribune after signing with the Cavs. “After Game 1 of the NBA Finals, that’s when it really struck me. Sitting on the sidelines, I never wanted to play in a game more than that one. I had dreamed of playing in the NBA Finals, and I just wanted to help my guys win. I couldn’t have been prouder of them as they poured their blood, sweat and tears onto the court.”
Love was the undeniable star of the Minnesota Timberwolves over the first six seasons of his career, as he was a three-time All-Star who averaged a double-double five times. Additionally, Love averaged over 20 points per game three times and led the league in rebounding in 2010-11.
While all of the individual accolades piled up, however, the wins did not, as the Timberwolves averaged just 25.5 wins per season and never made the playoffs. Love’s stardom was questioned, as some wondered if he was ever capable of being the best player on a good team or whether he was just a great player who put up big numbers on a bad team.
Love’s reputation has changed since the trade, much like it did for Miami Heat star Chris Bosh when he joined forces with James and Dwyane Wade in the summer of 2010.
Both players sacrificed individual statistics to be in a better situation, where a winning culture was established and at the end of the day only the final score matters. Bosh was rewarded with two championship rings and Love is hoping to experience the same success.
One of the biggest adjustments that Love has had to make is not being the number one offensive option as he was in Minnesota, where his usage rate was 28.4% compared to just 23.5% on the Cavs. Additionally, Love scored 31% of the points and snatched 37.5% of the rebounds on the Wolves, whereas for the Cavs, those percentages have dropped to 23.2% and 34%, respectively.
Perhaps the biggest difference for Love has been his usage in the fourth quarter, where he has gotten used to not being the featured option. Playing with a great closer and finisher like LeBron, and a scoring guard in Irving, has made Love’s clutch usage (4th quarter, score within 5 points) dip to just 15.8%. Comparatively, that mark was a team-high 32.1% in his final season with the Wolves.
Love’s two-year tenure in Cleveland thus far has proven to be the exact opposite of his time in Minnesota. He hasn’t made an All-Star team or averaged a double-double in either season, yet the Cavaliers have averaged 55 wins per year. While Love’s scoring average has dropped over 10 points between his last year in Minnesota and this season, the Cavaliers are headed to their second consecutive NBA Finals, a rematch against the Golden State Warriors.
While he missed last year’s NBA Finals due to a dislocated shoulder suffered in the first round of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics, Love will look to make a large contribution against the record-breaking Warriors club.
His 3-point shooting as a stretch power forward will likely be a major factor in the series – though the Warriors are known for the “Splash Brothers” Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, it’s the Cavaliers who have hoisted and made the most threes per game this postseason (14.4/33.2/43.4%).
LeBron will be LeBron – if the Cavaliers are going to knock off the defending champion and 73-win Warriors, Love will need to bring his best in every game and make his sacrifices worth it. It’s hard to envision the Cavs winning without a significant contribution from Love, who has waited his whole life for this opportunity.
