Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love has undergone surgery to repair the dislocated left shoulder that he suffered from a controversial incident with Boston Celtics center Kelly Olynyk during Game 4 of the first round NBA Playoffs matchup between the two teams.
According to the Cavaliers, the projected recovery time for Love is between four to six months, eliminating any chance that the power forward would be able to return to the Cavaliers lineup to help in the quest for an NBA championship.
While Love thought that Olynyk's "bush-league play" was done on purpose despite Olynyk's denial of such malice, the damage had already been done. The Cavaliers will be without their starting power forward, third-leading scorer and leading rebounder moving forward in the playoffs. The winner of the series between the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks should be the next opponent.
The short-term outlook is that LeBron James and Kyrie Irving will need to take on a heavier load in scoring and leadership for the Cavaliers as they chase the title. That's easier said than done due to the many things Love provides the team.
While Love is a power forward, his long-range shooting is able to draw opposing power forwards away from the paint, leaving more room for James and Irving to penetrate. Love is also very capable of scoring from the inside, which was his main strength in his years as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Cavaliers head coach David Blatt has been testing out other lineups that he could use with Love out. One possible scenario puts James in the power forward position in a small ball lineup. James, however, reportedly has little interest in playing in the position due to many factors. Playing in the power forward spot is exhausting since James will have to battle in the paint with opposing big men. It also prevents him from playing his preferred perimeter game.
A silver lining on the new lineups that Blatt will have to use is the possible re-emergence of veterans that have been buried in the Cavaliers bench for most of the season, which include sharpshooters James Jones and Mike Miller and defensive specialist Shawn Marion. Additional playing time may be coming their way, and using Marion in place of Love will improve the team's defense while still allowing for versatility due to his deep offensive repertoire. Will the 36-year-old be able to deliver, though?
The long-term outlook, however, is the big elephant in the room regarding Love's situation. His contract gives him the option to opt out and pursue free agency for the 2015-2016 NBA season.
Despite Love's remarks that he will remain in a Cavaliers uniform, there are still many possibilities. The Cavaliers stood up for Love when he was injured, which could create a sense of loyalty from Love to his teammates. Will that be able to overshadow the reported season-long struggles that Love has had with the team's utilization of the power forward as a shooter instead of an interior scorer?
The best chance that the Cavaliers had in having Love resign with the team for a long-term contract was the NBA Playoffs, as it would have provided Love with the first taste of winning playoff basketball, which eluded him as a member of the Timberwolves. With the postseason now out of the window and with Love's injury, his future with the Cavaliers has become more uncertain.
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