Does the Loss of Kevin Love Worsen the Cavaliers’ Slim Chance of Winning the NBA Finals?

 

During the second quarter in Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Warriors and the Cavaliers, Kevin Love was inadvertently elbowed by Harrison Barnes, who hit Love with his left elbow while going up for a rebound. He was able to return to the game, but after a few minutes of play during the third quarter, he left due to dizziness. He did not return for the rest of the game, and after the game, media was told that he would have to undergo concussion protocol. NBA listed him as day-to-day, but his Game 3 status was still uncertain.

Yesterday, Kevin Love was cleared to fly back to Cleveland from Oakland. This does not mean much; it just meant was Love did not have to stay in Oakland for an extra day. This information does not help us figure out Love’s Game 3 status, as he still has to go through the full concussion protocol. Many say that the Cavaliers slim chance of winning the series is over with Kevin Love out.

But do the Cavaliers need Love to win?

First, the defensive gameplan improves greatly with Love off the court. The Cleveland Cavaliers love to switch everything. Often, this leaves Love, an awful defensive player, guarding someone like Curry or Thompson. Even if they do not switch, this still leaves Love on Draymond Green, who, so far, is the Finals MVP. I’m sure the Cavs do not want their worst defender on the Warriors’ current best player. There are many defensive problems with Kevin Love on the court.

On the offensive end, Kevin Love has not helped the Cavaliers. In Game 1, the Warriors were switching, and this left many smaller players on Love. The Cavs threw it to Love when he had a mismatch, but he was not able to take advantage of these opportunities. Then, in Game 2, before he was elbowed by Barnes, he was not playing well, going 2 for 7 with 5 points.

The Cavaliers do not have a big chance of coming back in this series, but if Kevin Love does not play in Game 3, it might be better for the Cavaliers, as they have many other options. Channing Frye, who has been great all playoffs, and Timofey Mozgov, who had a great series against the Warriors in the 2015 Finals, are both available. Although he is great player, losing Kevin Love will not decrease the Cavaliers’ slim chance of winning the Finals.

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