Fitting in with the Cleveland Cavaliers was always going to be an adjustment for Kevin Love, and a few games into the preseason, he's already recognizing where tweaks need to be made. The All-Star forward struggled in the Cavs' 96-92 loss to the Grizzlies on Wednesday, and said after the game he needs more inside touches to get comfortable with his new team.
Kevin Love says he needs more inside touches to build rhythm with Cavaliers
Like Chris Bosh predicted, Kevin Love has experienced some frustration adjusting to his new role next to LeBron James in Cleveland.
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“My entire life I’ve played the game from inside-out,” Love explained to NEOMG. “So the more touches I can get inside to get myself going, the better. I’m not accustomed to starting out a game shooting a three, so it’s just something that I see.”
Love has been inconsistent in his first few preseason contests with the Cavaliers, following up a strong start with three straight shaky performances. He recorded 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting and eight rebounds in 24 minutes on Wednesday, and has yet to top 25 points in a game yet. Last season with the Timberwolves, Love averaged over 26 points a night.
The two-time All-NBA forward is understandably growing frustrated with his struggles, and attributed them to a lack of inside chances after Wednesday’s game. While Love is one of the most potent sharpshooting big men in the league, he’s also an effective scorer around the rim and wants those opportunities to build rhythm.
“I’m 26 years old and I’ve been playing basketball for quite a long time. Just finding ways to mix it up. If anything, keeping it around the basket a little bit more and the offense will allow me to get offensive rebounds. That will be tough for teams with Andy [Varejao] and myself and Tristan [Thompson] in there.”
Love didn't appear to be criticizing his new teammates or first-year coach David Blatt as much as lamenting the adjustments he's been forced to make. However, none of this should be particularly surprising, especially when former LeBron James teammate Chris Bosh pointed out that the move to Cleveland would be a major transition for Love. This is pretty much just part of the process of a superstar player making a major role change in his prime.
Love sounded optimistic about making the necessary adjustments to feel more comfortable on his new team, they just need to be implemented sooner rather than later. Blatt’s offense is designed to have the 26-year-old pressuring defenses with his perimeter shooting -- Love just wants to find a better balance between that role and his desire to see open shots in the paint.
“Yeah, the offense is built that way but I just have to make a conscious decision to get myself in there,” Love said. “There are a lot of times where I just find myself fading to the three-point line. For me, it’s a mentality and that’s easy to fix.”
Love and the Cavs play their regular season opener on Oct. 30.
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