One of the key storylines of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals will be how the Cleveland Cavaliers adjust to playing without NBA All-Star Kevin Love. After a collision with Jayson Tatum in the first quarter of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Love left the game and was later placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol, which keeps him out of tonight’s game. The Cavs nonetheless won Game 6, 109-99. So what effect could the loss of Kevin Love have on Game 7?
To state the obvious, this is a big blow for the Cleveland. Love is an All-Star and their clear second-best player behind LeBron James. Without Love, the Cavs lose a playoff experienced player who can be trusted in big situations and is well-acquainted with playing alongside LeBron James. Losing that chemistry on a team that is still relatively new to one another is a significant loss. Without Love, the Cavs are also down an excellent three-point shooter, which hurts their ability to score overall. Additionally, the absence of Love will also hurt their spacing, which consequently makes it harder for LeBron or (to a lesser extent) other Cavaliers to drive to the basket.
Another big negative effect of Love’s absence is that the Cavs lose one of their best rebounders, which is especially crucial in tonight’s game, given that the team that has won the rebound battle has won every game in this series. Without Love, guys like Jeff Green and Tristan Thompson will have to step it up on the boards for Cleveland to keep up.
The final problem with losing Love is that without him, the Cavs become even more LeBron-dependent, as Tyronn Lue can no longer stagger their minutes to rest James while being assured of having an All-Star leader on the court. Not that LeBron was going to rest that much in this game anyway, but with Love out, look to see some signs of fatigue from LeBron.
While losing Kevin Love is certainly a blow and definitely not good long-term for the Cavs, there are signs that it could actually be a blessing in disguise for the team that has won three straight Eastern Conference Finals (or at least not a knockout punch). While Love is the Cavs’ second leading scorer and leading rebounder in these playoffs, he hasn’t been particularly effective this series, averaging a mere 12.5 points on 37.5% shooting and only 7 for 26 from three-point range. He’s also averaging as many assists as turnovers (~2.3) and has a net rating of -7.4 points per 100 possessions, second worst on the team (only Rodney Hood is worse, and he’s out of their rotation). The stats reflect what is apparent on the court: Against the young, quick, athletic Celtics squad, Love is a liability, unable to defend effectively or get his offensive game going. Love’s replacement, Jeff Green, is a far more quick, athletic player, whose presence allows the Cavs to switch more effectively on defense; an advantage against the versatile Celtics lineup.
How Love’s absence affects the Cavs will be answered tonight, so keep an eye on it. Common sense would say it could be bad, but the statistics show a different story. Time will tell, but the guys getting more playing time (Jeff Green, Larry Nance Jr.) will have to step up to get the Cavs back to the NBA Finals.
It’s going to be interesting.
(Stats via NBA.com)
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