The Cavaliers are meandering along around .500 at this point, trading wins with bad teams and loses with decent teams as they maintain their status in the middle of the eastern conference playoff standings at 38-28.
LeBron James is feeling out his new teammates and doing so while continuing to seemingly reach new heights as an NBA player at the age of 33 and with tons of mileage on his figurative NBA odometer.
The most important pieces of the Cavaliers teams that have made the NBA Finals the past three seasons are either gone (Kyrie Irving), throwing soup at assistant coaches (J.R. Smith) or injured.
The one All-Star caliber player left on the roster besides LeBron is fellow front court mate and stretch big Kevin Love.
Love has missed the past month with a broken hand and according to reports, is targeting a return date the third week of March.
Here is what Terry Pluto said in the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Joe Vardon of the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
“Kevin Love said he’s looking at a return to the Cavaliers of later next week.
Love, who broke a bone in his left hand on Jan. 30, told cleveland.com he was hopeful to play against Phoenix on March 23. The Cavs play the East-leading Raptors on March 21 and are in Brooklyn March 25. Love was hesitant on a precise target date — as the Cavs play every other day, which limits practice opportunities — but he’s looking at next week.”
Love’s ability to be a go-to scorer and elite rebounder and floor-spacer will be more important than ever this postseason as the Cavaliers gear up for potentially their last run at a title with LeBron James.
