Cleveland Cavaliers Kevin Love was forced to watch his team lose in the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors, as he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the playoffs.
Love is not expected to be fully healthy to start the 2015-16 season, according to Cavaliers reporter Dave McMenamin.
Kevin Love: "The shoulder is great ... I imagine I'll be limited at the start." Says he'll wear a pad at first, has scar tissue to debride
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 28, 2015
Despite Love’s health, the Cavaliers will once again be a front-runner to win the NBA title as they have LeBron James, who is widely known as the best player in the NBA.
James was able to lead the Cavaliers to their first two playoff wins in franchise history despite taking on a stacked Warriors team led by reigning MVP Stephen Curry.
He was forced to play without Love and All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, who does not have a timetable for a return right now.
Love did not enjoy the same type of success that he experienced with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but his presence proved to be vital for the Cavaliers as James’ dominant NBA Finals performance was not enough.
The three-time All-Star averaged only 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game after logging a career-high 26.1 points and adding 12.5 rebounds in the 2013-14 season. He is expected to be fully healthy as the season progresses, and the Cavaliers will be the kings of the Eastern Conference until another team becomes a surprise Finals contender.
It remains to be seen whether an Eastern Conference team that does not have James will be able to reach the Finals for the first time since 2010.
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