Miami Heat: 3 reasons to make a Kevin Love trade
Salt-n-Pepper
When Love took a seat in the NBA designated black fold-up chair for picture day in September 2017, he was sporting a particularly… distinguished look.
https://twitter.com/lospollostv/status/912400149971746816?lang=en
Gone was the buzz cut of his Minnesota days or the curly locks of his title run in 2016. Love rocked a noticeably gray ‘do, fitting of a Men’s Warehouse ad or a virility commercial.
As shocking as the look was, it was symbolic. In 10 seasons in the association, Love has transitioned from a solo star for the Minnesota Timberwolves to a third option for the Cavaliers.
Despite the internet hate he seems to accrue, Love’s production (barring bouts with injury) has been a point of consistency. Effectively a guaranteed 20 and 10 producer, Love’s game has aged as maturely as his hair.
An inside-out player at his core, Love’s post work took a downturn in Cleveland. He shot just 246 at the rim in 2017-18, compared to 359 in his final Timberwolves season. Finding himself in Miami would speak to his renewed faith in the 3-ball while allowing flexiblility to bully in the paint on an as needed basis.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra notoriously loves positionless basketball.
He ran an undersized, fluid lineup in the James years and continues to do so now, much to the chagrin of Hassan Whiteside. Love would give Spolestra the option to embrace five-out sets, sprinkling shooters around the horn while breaking down defenses.
Sliding out from high screens is a simple enough move – Olynyk does it often enough already. Having Love in Miami’s offense could solve Miami’s tempestuous relationship with scoring droughts (looking at you, third quarter).
As an added bonus, if Love stays in Miami long term, his game would age well, like a 30-plus-year-old Luke Babbitt. But with more gray.
But speaking of Olynyk…