Kevin Love Critical Of LeBron James Following Blowout Loss To Golden State
Kevin Love was critical of LeBron James following the Cleveland Cavaliers loss to the Golden State Warriors, after LBJ commented on how his teammates don’t have valuable playoff experience.
Here we go again. Last year, Kevin Love didn’t “fit in.”
And when it finally looked like Love started to click in Cleveland as max player with Kyrie Irving rehabbing from a knee injury, the UCLA product has gone back to playing like just another guy on the floor.
During the postgame media scrum, LeBron James talked about how a couple of his teammates didn’t gain the invaluable experience of competing in the NBA Playoffs. A shot clearly directed at Love.
“We’ve got some inexperienced guys that haven’t played enough meaningful basketball games where they can fall back on,” James said, via Cleveland.com. “When it gets a little tough sometimes, it’s not like they can kind of fall back on previous experiences to try and help them get through it.”
Around the same time, Love deliver a dose of accountability to his teammate James.
Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon wrote:
"“This isn’t to say that James was stellar Monday against the Warriors. Love seemed to fire back at James a little when, nodding in James’ direction, he said it was ‘going to take a lot of guys looking themselves in the mirror and it all starts with our leader over there and dwindles on down.'”"
Love is trending downward fast, and while overreacting in January is an easy thing to do, there’ plenty of time to get himself write. He’s still averaging a double-double per game (15.7 ppg, 10.7 rpg). But after shooting 47.1 percent from the field in November, he’s only coverting at a 34.7 percent clip in January.
With that said, Love appeared to be an All-Star lock just a month ago. Boy what a difference four weeks can make.
ESPN basketball writer Zach Lowe didn’t include Love on the NBA All-Star team, writing the UCLA product has gone back to being the Cavaliers’ “third wheel.”
Lowe broke down his roster, and listed Love as one of four players competing for the final four reserve spots.
Ultimately, he gave a spot to Carmelo Anthony, over Love.
Lowe wrote:
"“Anthony’s all-around game has blossomed while Love has sagged back into his role as Cleveland’s third wheel. Love hasn’t shot quite well enough considering the quality of looks LeBron provides, and he’s a ground-bound minus on defense no matter how he tries — as the Warriors almost cruelly exposed in punking Cleveland Monday night. He has never been able to lift Cleveland with LeBron on the bench.”"
Lowe makes valid points. When LeBron’s off the floor, how many Kevin Love “moments” can you remember? Cavs’ fans are begging for Love to act more like an alpha, and while it seemed he was trending that direction with Kyrie Irving out, Love has been more of a Beta since No. 2’s return.
Instead of Love playing like a member of “The Big 3,” Cavs’ fans get subjected to videos like this, of Love playing horrible defense.
If there’s ever a time to kick a man while he’s down, now’s the time, and frankly Love deserves it.
Nobody expected the Cavs to be acquiring a defensive maven from Minnesota, but now Cavs’ have to re-think their previous explanation that Love would’ve made a difference in last season’s NBA Finals.
He’ll probably never admit to losing confidence, but he doesn’t have to. Ball don’t lie, and the film doesn’t either. Love looks shaky, and David Blatt needs to figure out how to get him back on track.
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Easier said than done.
Under Blatt, it’s like Love’s been relegated to standing behind the 3-point arc, when he could be so much more. Maybe Blatt can work some elbow plays in for his athletic big man.