The Cleveland Cavaliers are at a time of transition, with LeBron James leaving in free agency again. Nobody can realistically blame James, who is now at the forefront of an intriguing Los Angeles Lakers’ roster overhaul.
The sky hasn’t completely fallen in Cleveland, though, as the Cavaliers still have some nice pieces. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski initially broke the news on Kevin Love signing a four-year, $120 million contract extension last month, which was at a minimum, a classy move by the organization.
Love is the team’s best player, by far and away, and will likely put up monster numbers this season. I’m not going to be one of the pundits insisting he will post Minnesota Timberwolves Love statistical lines, but he will have ample opportunities as the team’s first option. Head coach Tyronn Lue will get a chance to better prove himself without the constant pressure exerted surrounding a James-led team. Without that, he can hopefully develop the young talent some.
Cleveland has some solid players around Love currently, highlighted by perimeter scorer Rodney Hood (should he eventually sign his qualifying offer), first-round pick point guard Collin Sexton, big Larry Nance Jr., and wings Cedi Osman and Kyle Korver. All indications point to the team trying to compete for a playoff birth in 2018-19, with them not fire-selling just yet.
A quality first step to reaching that goal involves the three-point line.
Next Up: Goal 3
