Kevin Love's NBA credentials include cartoonish statistics, All-Star honors and multiple seasons spent as a full-fledged franchise face.
But as he nears his first campaign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 26-year-old is still searching for substance. For everything his resume says he has accomplished to date, there are those who believe the versatile big man hasn't really accomplished anything yet.
Notably absent from Love's body of work is a single postseason appearance. And while the remarkably revamped Cavaliers will undoubtedly mark that item off his checklist, the process will force him into a role he has never before held at this level.
Cleveland targeted him for his far-reaching skill set and the jam-packed box scores he leaves behind, but both the player and the franchise understand Love's NBA existence is about to change.
"I'd be lying to myself and everybody here if I was telling you I didn't have to sacrifice," Love told reporters at the Cavs media day, per The Washington Post's Michael Lee. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes for this team to win because at the end of the day, that's what we want, is to win."
Winning is about the only thing Love hasn't done at this level.
He finished the 2013-14 season ranked fourth in scoring (26.1), third in rebounding (12.5), third in player efficiency rating (26.9), per Basketball-Reference, and third in total win shares (14.3). He has the second-most double-doubles over the past four seasons (191) despite having missed 89 games due to injury during that stretch.
Still, his individual success never carried over to the Minnesota Timberwolves as a whole. The team compiled a dismal record of 153-323 across his six seasons spent in the Gopher State.
Again, that part of Love's story should change in a major way this season.
The best teammates he has previously had on this stage (in terms of scoring average) have been Al Jefferson (23.1 points per game in Love's rookie year) and Michael Beasley (19.2 in 2010-11). Now, Love will be working alongside four-time MVP LeBron James (a career 27.5 points-per-game scorer) and 22-year-old two-time All-Star Kyrie Irving (20.7).
The talent level in Cleveland is incredible, both from an individual standpoint and how it figures to blend with one another. That's how the Cavaliers, who won just 33 games last season, are now on track for 65 victories, according to the projections of FiveThirtyEight.com's Nate Silver.
Whether this team comes close to hitting that total will depend on a number of different factors, but one could argue that Love will have the biggest say in this group fulfilling its potential. He is, after all, facing perhaps the most dramatic transformation of anyone on the roster.
In terms of style, the Cavs won't be asking Love to do things any differently.
Both his three-point stroke (career 36.2 percent) and low-post proficiency will be safety nets for this offense. With defenses having to focus so much attention on the penetration games of James and Irving, Love should find cleaner scoring chances than he ever has before and help his All-Star teammates do the same.
His generational gift for outlet passing is another weapon on which the Cavs should heavily rely. Cleveland has a nice collection of athletic slashers, unselfish setup men and dead-eye shooters, all of which are lethal weapons in the transition opportunities Love's crosscourt heaves can create.
And Love's rebounding is sure to be another key ingredient of Cleveland's (potential) championship recipe. No one has averaged more boards over the past four seasons (13.7), and the big guy could be getting better as he nears the time when both his body and his basketball mind are operating at peak levels.
The Cavaliers aren't going to ask him to change, but they will have him do everything on a smaller scale. In other words, no more averaging 18.5 field-goal attempts or amassing a 28.8 usage percentage as he did last season.
Through four preseason games, Love has put up 8.8 shots a night. While that number has been affected by his only playing 21.8 minutes a night, it only climbs to 14.5 when viewed under a per-36-minute lens. It's still enough for him to play a significant role, but the serving is much lighter than what he's used to receiving.
It's also a similar number to the amount of shots Chris Bosh fired off during his four seasons with James for the Miami Heat (13.7 per 36 minutes). As Bosh told Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick recently, it's a challenging, complicated transition to go through:
It's a lot more difficult taking a step back, because you're used to doing something a certain way and getting looks a certain way. And then it's like, well, no, for the benefit of the team, you have to get it here.
So even if you do like the left block, the volume of the left block is going to be different. Now you have to make those moves count. So with me, it was like a chess game. I'm doing this move and thinking about the next move and trying to stay five moves ahead. You're not getting it as much. If you got one or two a game, it's a lot different.
With the Timberwolves, Love had an offense built around his strengths. Minnesota's best play was anything that put him in his most comfortable spots.
Things won't be the same in Cleveland.
James is not only the returning prodigal son, he's also back in town sporting some legacy-cementing championship bling. He will be the focal point of head coach David Blatt's offense, leaving Love and Irving to find their niche as support players to James.
If everyone finds and embraces the right roles, the upside of this team is incredible. But that means players like Love, who has tallied some tremendous numbers on his own, will need to take a step back—or several of them—in order to pursue a greater common goal.
"Love has wanted to win year after year after year in Minnesota, and now he'll win," wrote CBS Sports' Matt Moore. "But that's going to come at the cost of not only possessions, points, and rebounds, but his comfort level. How he adjusts to that will be key."
And not just key for the Cavaliers, but also key for Love himself.
The basketball world knows he can stuff a stat sheet like a Thanksgiving turkey, but it hasn't yet seen him perform under the brightest lights. His most meaningful moments since leaving UCLA have been reserved for the international stage and his three All-Star appearances.
The Cavs have realistic championship aspirations in front of them. This might be Love's first involvement with a title chase, but he has to act like he's been here before.
"Despite Love's lack of playoff experience, the Cavaliers need him to play like a playoff veteran this season," wrote USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt. "His willingness to learn from teammates — guys who have won titles — such as LeBron James, Mike Miller, Shawn Marion and James Jones will be critical."
This road could be rocky for Love, but the Cavaliers have given him all the tools to successfully traverse it.
Cleveland's championship-experienced core includes the innovative Blatt, who stockpiled league and international titles in Europe before coming stateside this summer. It also has James, who heard similar criticisms about being unable to win the ones that mattered before his successful four-year stay in South Beach. The King also understands what it takes to make the Big Three model work.
It's impossible to tell how Love will do on this journey, but it's hard to imagine him finding a better guide than James.
"He's been where I want to go and a guy like Kyrie wants to go and guys who haven't made it to the Finals or won a championship," Love said of James, per Zillgitt. "He has an ability to teach us all, and we're all in a position to really learn from him."
If Love is as receptive and adaptable as he says he is, this should be the most satisfying, successful stretch of his career. Pair his aforementioned individual credentials with some postseason triumphs, and his legacy could reach a historically significant place.
Opportunity is pounding on the door, and all Love needs to do is answer it. This will be a time of sacrifice and change, but if he welcomes both, it will ultimately be the point at which his career turned from goodness to greatness.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2237871-kevin-love-entering-critical-turning-point-of-nba-career
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