Cleveland Cavaliers: Kevin Love trade analysis
The Cleveland Cavaliers are all in for the upcoming NBA season. It was announced earlier this week that Kevin Love will be the newest member of the Cavaliers with the trade of Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and a first round pick being finalized later in August.
Here is my breakdown of the trade.
The Justification of the Wiggins Trade – The Waiting Game
The Argument: The Cleveland Cavaliers have to win now because LeBron James is in the prime of his basketball career and can’t afford to waste away years waiting for Andrew Wiggins to develop.
I understand.
James is turning 30 years old this year and there is a window on his career that is closing (later than sooner). If he wants to catch Michael Jordan (Even if James does win six, Jordan is still the G.O.A.T.), he needs to get more talent around him faster.
“They had to trade for Kevin Love.”
But the Cavs didn’t.
I understand the argument being made, and how rookies in the NBA have a learning curve. The part I wonder about is, WHO SAID IT WILL TAKE LONG FOR ANDREW WIGGINS TO DEVELOP???
Obviously, like most rookies in the NBA it takes time for them to understand the game and the speed of the new competition. It doesn’t necessarily have to take long though.
Since 2003 (the year James won ROY) the Rookie of the Year winners have averaged no less than 15 points a game. In fact, their combined scoring averages were 18.4 points a game.
In addition, only three of the last 11 Rookie of the Year winners have not made the All-Star team (Tyreke Evans, Michael Carter-Williams, Emeka Okafor).
Even if Wiggins was on the low-end of that scoring average and only provided 15 points a game it would still be enough with a team that already has two All-Stars who are more than capable of getting buckets. James (he would love to score more) and Kyrie “Uncle Drew” Irving (he loves to score).
The fact that people are missing out on is that Wiggins also can get buckets.
Last season playing for the Kansas Jayhawks, Wiggins scored in double digits in 29 out of 35 games. He also had a career high of 41 points where he had eight rebounds, four blocks and five steals.
*We will get to his defensive capabilities a little later, I promise*
But did the Cavaliers make the right move?
As every story has, there are two sides.
Side A – Keeping Up With the Wiggins
The argument: If the Cavaliers kept Andrew Wiggins, they might have been the favorite for the 2015 NBA Finals.
That might’ve been true.
As the aforementioned foreshadowing on the defense of Wiggins, opponents would’ve been lost in the shuffle figuring out who should take over the game because their best players would be taken be taken out of the game offensively.
Imagine the Cavaliers playing in a road playoff game against the Washington Wizards. The Wizards best player is point guard John Wall.
Instead of having Kyrie Irving attempt to guard Wall (Irving would’ve been cooked), or having James guard the best player (as he always did in Miami), Cavs Head Coach David Blatt could use Wiggins for the match-up.
The 6-foot-8, 200 pound superior gifted athlete is long enough and has quick lateral movement to stay in front of Wall. The next defensive assignment could be handled by James to guard either Paul Pierce or Bradley Beal, whoever Irving feels he has a better chance to guard.
Whichever the option, inserting Wiggins on the best offensive player alleviates that pressure from James and would allow the Cavaliers to relinquish the two best offensive players for any opponent that they face.
That is something that James has never had, a teammate that plays on ball defense to the potential that Wiggins can grow into. Essentially with his athletic gifts, Wiggins could be a premier defender in the NBA.
Picture having two athletes who are as gifted LeBron and Wiggins on the same team, how many championships would they win? Sure Wiggins and James would have to figure out how to play together, but their window of chasing championships would be supremely larger than most teammates.
Although, Wiggins is no James by any stretch of the imagination, he does have the ability to one day dominate in the NBA.
The NBA would be looking at a duo that could be as dynamic as Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Though Wiggins and James are in different stages in their career, each would only get better playing together.
They say iron sharpens iron, and having someone as gifted as James pushing the team daily in practice and in film sessions would only make Wiggins more intelligent and become a better basketball player.
Wiggins has elite level athleticism. As his body matures he will gain more strength. Currently, he is only 19 years old.
The Cavaliers had the opportunity to not only have the present in their hands with James, but also have the future secured as well. If James gotten hurt (God forbid) in the near future, retired, or wanted to start his own Dwyane Wade maintenance plan (resting during regular season games), Wiggins and Irving (he just signed a max contract) could pick up the slack and continue the path.
Even watching the fast breaks with that Cavaliers team would’ve been epic. Having a guard like Irving (who has handles beyond measure) push the ball and throwing an outlet to either Wiggins or James would’ve been glorious to watch (like this) or this:
Unfortunately, that is something people would love to see that will not take place (at least not with Wiggins).
Then again, the Cavs have a big man who can make full court alley oop outlet passes. Speaking of Love…
Side B – True Love Conquers?
The argument: Kevin Love puts the Cleveland Cavaliers over the top and makes the Cavs the favorite for the 2015 NBA Finals.
This might be true.
Now that the Cavs will finally have Kevin Love, there are still unanswered questions.
We all know Love can score and is the best power forward in the NBA (I said that years ago), but his calling card is on offense. Last season he averaged 26.1 points a game and 12.5 rebounds, but defensively is where his game lacks. That is a major problem especially because it is one of the key aspects to winning a championship.
How will the Cleveland Cavaliers guard the bigs in the NBA?
In his career, Love has never averaged one block per game. Anderson Varejao has only had one season where he averaged more than one block per game with 1.2.
The NBA is full of rosters that have big men that can dominate the Cavaliers frontline.
Spurs: Tim Duncan, Tiago Splitter, Boris Diaw
Bulls: Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Nikola Mirotic
Blazers: Robin Lopez, LaMarcus Aldridge
Grizzlies: Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph
Clippers: Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan
Thunder: Serge Ibaka, Steven Adams, Kevin Durant
Mavs: Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler, Chandler Parsons
Wizards: Marcin Gortat, Nene Hilario
Thankfully the Cavs saving grace is that most of these teams are in the Western Conference. Nevertheless, the frontcourt defense is an issue that needs to be addressed.
Their other saving grace is that each Love and Varejao carry Windex on their hip. Each of these two glass cleaners rebound extremely well. Love has had five seasons pulling down double-digit boards with his career high being 15.2 a game (2011). While Varejao has had two seasons with double-digit rebounding totals, his career high being 14.4 (2013).
Having Love also allows Irving the opportunity of having the ball more in his hands and working off of screen and rolls with Love popping open for three pointers. If the defense focuses on Love, Irving can drive and find James off of a deadly cut, throw him lob passes, or backdoor passes for easy opportunities to score in the paint.
Championship is Coming!
At the end of the day, each possibility, getting Kevin Love or keeping Andrew Wiggins wouldn’t have mattered. The trade was a matter on mortgaging the future for the present. Most likely the Cavs would have still made it to the Eastern Conference Finals with the Miami Heat (crossing fingers, what a story that would be).
Regardless of the outcome of the Eastern Conference Finals, the San Antonio Spurs are still out there. From the looks of the 2014 NBA Finals it does not look like they are slowing down.
Timmy, Tony, Manu and Kawhi “So Serious” Leonard will once again be coming soon…