Over the weekend, veteran forward Kevin Love chose to sign with the Miami Heat after securing a contract buyout from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
While the Heat were seen as the favorites to land Love, the Philadelphia 76ers were also seen as contenders at one time. However, from Love’s point of view, the choice to join the Heat was a “pretty easy decision” for him to make.
He confirmed that his decision came down to either Philadelphia or Miami and said his choice was swayed by the idea of working with Erik Spoelstra, Pat Riley, Andy Elisburg and the Arison ownership family.
“For me, I always looked at Miami as a place that would have been a great landing spot for me,” he said. “I love the way that, again, they operate here. You can tell that it’s a top-tier, high-class, high-character organization and that all starts at the top. So for me, at the end of the day, it was a pretty easy decision.”
Now with the team, Love is reportedly expecting to assume a “sizable role” in the rotation. He seems very motivated to prove that his reduced numbers this season are a product of his lack of opportunity on the Cavs rather than a decline in his ability.
Though he is definitely no longer the All-Star player that he was during his prime, the hope is that he can still produce at a high level.
Just last season, he proved that he still has a lot left in the tank by averaging 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds over just 22.5 minutes per game.
When it comes to what he brings on the floor, his primary contributions for the Heat figure to come on the offensive side of things. Love has never been known as a staunch defender, and his skill set on that side of the court has definitely taken a hit in recent years.
Still, his ability to stretch the floor from the power forward spot is very valuable. For his career, he’s a 37.2 percent shooter from 3-point range. Just last season, he hit nearly 40 percent of his shots from deep.
Though the Heat failed to make a big splash via trade prior to the deadline this month, the acquisition of Love does improve things for the team.
Only time will tell if it’s enough to allow the Heat to enjoy a long and successful playoff run.
