Loss shows what Cavs will look for and why this summer – Amico Hoops

A random dribble follows the Cavaliers' 116-106 home defeat by the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.

1. Kevin Love gave the Cavs a lot, but at least Love recognized him. "If I was worth it (exploiting) tonight, we would have won," he said.

2 Love was right. He was not good. At least he was not himself. He missed his first eight shots. He finished 3 times out of 13 for 10 lousy points. He had 11 rebounds, so hey, at least you knew he was on the ground.

3 It's really a major difference between the last four seasons and this one. Last year, when Love had a bad game, the Cavs still had James Lebron. Two years ago, they had James and Kyrie Irving. Now it's just love and some young players who are not bad, but who still find their way.

4 So what does that tell you? This tells you that the Cavs (19-56) will need to remedy this for next season. They will probably still have love. They will probably still Sexton Collin, Cedi Osman and Jordan Clarkson, as well. But they are entering the off season knowing that they need at least one very good guy, preferably a very good guy.

5 Maybe this player will come from the project. Or maybe it will come from the sketch and of the Interior. After all, Sexton has played very well lately, scoring 24 points, the highest game in the world, against the Irving-less Celtics. Clarkson added 18 on the bench and Osman finished with 15 points and seven tips.

6 As usual, the Cavs tried to win this one. But the Celtics (44-31) are playing for something other than a simple choice. Their desperation showed. Even without Irving for all the games, they swept the series of the season.

7. From now on, the Cavs intend to play a role in the free agency. They will not reach the biggest stars such as Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Kemba Walker or the rest. They know that. But they will lose free agents and they will almost certainly do a business to unload a salary. So they will definitely be courting second and third place guys. Unrestricted free agents such as that of Indiana Bojan Bogdanovic, Orlando Terrence Ross and Charlotte Jeremy Lamb are likely on their list.

8 Of course, almost everything the Cavs do during the off season will be determined by what will happen in the May 14th lottery project. If they find themselves with the fifth or sixth choice (quite possible under the new lottery rules, everyone is almost equal), they will put entirely less stock into the project.

9 But the Cavs want to be better next season. They want to be relevant. They saw how the Milwaukee dollars rose to the top of the Eastern Conference behind Giannis Antetokounmpo – which, by the way, was not selected with the first, second or even the 10th general choice. Antetotokounmpo was selected for the 15th time in 2013.

ten. And after landing at the Greek Freak, the Bucks were stuck in the middle of the pack for a while. This is where many fans insist you never have to be. But the reality is that no one is going to tank to one title in a season. You must take the logical steps. You must start winning games. Teams who play lottery year after year without mercy are usually there for a reason.

11 Love's fights on Tuesday show the Cavs will need at least one more player to make a playoff in the playoffs. They know it and are determined to find that player (or players) this summer.

12 As for the current game, the Cavs coach Larry Drew had this to say, "Our guys were fighting. We were right there. He did not leave us until the fourth quarter. Missed some shots and had two turnovers. He went from a six or eight point game to a 12 or 14 point game. "

13 This is the story of the end of the Cavs season and it's ok. They just need to keep playing hard, growing and taking their bumps. There are only seven games left and the next five are on the road.

14 Finally, yes, it's odd that Irving still seems to be resting for games in Cleveland. But Kyrie says and says a lot to consider … well, different. I will not hate him here. There is enough on social media and in the world in general. But Irving is eligible for freelance status this summer and although his talent is remarkable, he has not been good this season when it comes to warming up his coaches and teammates. He remains prone to injury. Translation: Sign Kyrie to a maximum contract at your own risk.