The Cleveland Cavaliers have bigger problems than their 2-0 NBA Finals hole.
Like Kevin Love’s health, for instance.
Love left Cleveland’s Game 2 loss to the Golden State Warriors with concussion-like symptoms after taking an elbow to the head from Harrison Barnes. He wasn’t immediately removed from the game, since he didn’t exhibit the symptoms until later. But he’s now day-to-day, per ESPN’s Rachel Nichols:
#Cavaliers say Kevin Love is officially day-to-day. Here's the NBA's concussion protocol, if you're interested: https://t.co/nBBpuLEHxF
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) June 6, 2016
Cleveland also released a statement on the matter, per ESPN.com’s Stein:
Fwd: Cavaliers forward Kevin Love experienced dizziness after returning to play at the start of the second half. He was taken to the locker room for further examination. The result of that exam is that he has now been placed in the NBA Concussion Protocol and will not return to play. Kevin did not exhibit any signs or symptoms during the first half, or at halftime, that would have caused him to be placed in the concussion protocol prior to now.
Assuming Love isn’t ready for Game 3, in Cleveland, on Wednesday, the Cavaliers will have some tough decisions to make about the starting lineup. Head coach Tyronn Lue didn’t tip his hand following Game 3, but you can bet he’s already started thinking about it.
Does he plug in Channing Frye to preserve floor spacing, even though neither Frye nor Tristan Thompson is equipped to keep pace with Golden State’s power forward rotation? Might he shift LeBron to the 4, alongside Thompson, and start one of Iman Shumpert or Matthew Dellavedova?
It’s a tough call, and one the Cavaliers weren’t hoping to make this year. But concussions are fickle beasts, and Cleveland may have to push on without Love yet again.
