[ad_1]
A day after the Cleveland Cavaliers The NBA championship, they will likely lose the best player of this title for a month or more.
Five-time All-Star forward Kevin Love, who signed a four-year, $ 120 million contract extension over the summer, could not be more important than the last one. two games of the regular season, according to multiple reports.
<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "The New York Times" Marc Stein first reported the possibility of Love's extended absence. "data-reactid =" 24 "> New York Times' Marc Stein first reported the possibility of Love's extended absence.
Love to meet with doctors this week to consider short-term remedies, but with the Cavs 0-6 so far, playing through pain may not be the most cautious option, by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst. Love is undoubtedly Cleveland's best player in the aftermath of LeBron James' departure, leading the team with averages of 19 points and 13.5 rebounds per game in four outings.
In other words, the Cavaliers are preparing to enter full-blown tank mode.
Do the Cavaliers own their 2019 first-round pick?
As a result of their January 2017 trade for Kyle Korver, the Cavaliers owe the Atlanta Hawks their No. 1 pick if it falls outside the top 10 in the 2019 draft, meaning they have added incentive beyond the customary allure of a top pick to careen down the standings. Cavs big man Tristan Thompson actually thought they were Eastern Conference favorites even without James, and some prognosticators figured Cleveland could still compete for a playoff spot in the shallow East, but not without a healthy Love.
What will the Cavaliers look like without Kevin Love?
The Cavaliers have slotted Channing Frye and Sam Dekker into Love's starting spot during his two-game absence – a pair of losses to the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers. Both have the ability to space the floor, but they do not represent the presence of their loved ones. Even with Love, Cleveland ranked 29th in defensive rating, and neither Frye nor Dekker does anything to remedy those woes. This is not going to be pretty.
Cleveland's projected starting lineup for Tuesday's game against Atlanta – one of the teams will be competing with George Hill, JR Smith, Rodney Hood, Thompson and Frye Dekker gold. U-G-L-Y.
Considering Love Missed Most of the Game 6 and all of Game 7 in the conference finals with a concussion this past May, it is all the more remarkable that James and the Cavaliers emerged from those two victorious games. Cleveland, by resting Love and replacing Lue with interim coach Larry Drew, are all about the roster they've built around the world.
How badly has the love been bitten by the bug?
The injury to Love also raises some concern about the future of Cleveland's franchise beyond this season. An extended absence of this season would mean the last few years of the season. While many of the injuries are left behind, they are apparently unrelated, they raise some concern about the 30-year-old's ability to fulfill their condition. say nothing of the handful of concussions he has suffered in his career.
Is a Cleveland fire dirty coming?
As long as owner Dan Gilbert is comfortable with full-blown rebuild fashion, something he has staunchly stood against in the past, the Cavaliers would be best served to consider their trade options for the rest of their veteran contributors. Korver and Smith could help shooting-starved playoff contenders like the Philadelphia 76ers. Hill is interesting, if only for his $ 19 million expiring contract. There are plenty of teams that Love could help, especially the Oklahoma City Thunder.
How soon does the Cavs start their fire?
<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "– – – – – – –"data-reactid =" 42 ">– – – – – – –
<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Ben Rohrbach is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach"data-reactid =" 43 ">Ben Rohrbach is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach
<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "More from Yahoo Sports:
• Ty Montgomery disobeyed orders and fumbled Packers' game away
• Eric Reid says Malcolm Jenkins asked him to stop protesting
• Rangers roast Dodgers and themselves in viral tweet
• Seahawks rookie punter ices win in wild end zone play
"data-reactid =" 44 ">More from Yahoo Sports:
• Ty Montgomery disobeyed orders and fumbled Packers' game away
• Eric Reid says Malcolm Jenkins asked him to stop protesting
• Rangers roast Dodgers and themselves in viral tweet
• Seahawks rookie punter ices win in wild end zone play
[ad_2]
Source link
