Despite his best efforts to fit in (not "fit out" as LeBron James famously cautioned), Kevin Love finds himself more distant than ever from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Love's absence was the elephant in the room stifling Cleveland's excitement following a 30-point victory in Game 3.
It was undeniable - the Cavaliers looked better with 35-year-old Richard Jefferson in the starting lineup. Without Love's lethargy to account for, the Cavaliers looked energized, active, aggressive, and athletic.
For the first time in eight games, they looked like they belonged on the same court as the Golden State Warriors.
However, Love isn't expected to be sidelined for much longer. He practiced wearing a starter's jersey Thursday, and reports suggest he'll be cleared to play in Game 4.
His return brings about the awkward question: What should the Cavaliers do with Love? Here are some options:
Option 1: Start Love like nothing happened
Reinserting Love back into the starting lineup would be the safest political option. Make it known to Love and the world: The Cavs have faith in their $19-million man.
Head coach Tyronn Lue, however, has played it coy regarding his lineup. Despite being repeatedly quizzed about Love, Lue has pleaded the Fifth. His silence speaks volumes, but daring to start Love would end all the speculation.
With the Cavaliers still facing a 2-1 series deficit, though, there's no time for politics and hurt feelings. Lue has to play his best lineups, and tactically, starting Love brings about two significant costs.
For starters, putting Love in the starting unit keeps LeBron James from playing power forward. That alignment allowed James to cover Draymond Green, and with three athletic forwards in Tristan Thompson, James, and Jefferson in the lineup, the Cavs were able to switch more freely and seamlessly pick up assignments in transition. Having Love on the court makes for one less degree of freedom.
Secondly, Love forces Jefferson off the court, and while Love is by far the better player, Jefferson's better suited for the matchup. Jefferson wreaked havoc in Games 2 and 3 alongside James by being solid defensively and athletic in transition, and by chipping in on the offensive glass. The Warriors struggled to rebound when Thompson and Jefferson crashed the glass on James' drives, and Love simply can't reliably chase offensive boards without getting exploited in transition.
Option 2: Start Jefferson, bring Love off the bench
Trotting out the same winning combination from Game 3 would make for the best tactical strategy, but it guarantees headaches down the road.
Love's name has already been dragged through the mud after the first two games, and Cleveland's resounding victory in his absence only exacerbated the problem. Getting slapped with a vote of no confidence from his head coach could risk losing Love entirely.
It also makes for a lose-lose scenario. If the Cavaliers win again without Love, it'd become abundantly clear he's not long for this series and put his long-term fit in Cleveland into question. If the Cavaliers lose without Love, questions will be raised about Lue's decision to bench a former All-NBA player.
As a half-measure, the team could use his injury as an excuse. By spinning the benching as a precautionary measure, the Cavaliers could buy themselves an out for one game. That'd only delay the inevitable decision, though.
Option 3: Start Love, limit his minutes
The best option to balance both politics and tactics is to start Love while limiting his minutes to specific matchups. This way, the story doesn't get blown out of proportion.
The least harmful time to play Love is when Andrew Bogut or Festus Ezeli is on the court. The Warriors' traditional centers provide a hiding spot for Love's lack of lateral quickness, and he can exploit the matchup by stretching them out to the perimeter.
Cleveland must also split up Love and Irving as much as possible. The Cavs have defended capably with one of their two defensive liabilities off the court, but cannot cover up for both players.
However, giving Love significant run with the starting unit in the first and third quarters could take away a marked advantage that Cleveland exploited in Game 3. The Warriors' starting unit was a minus-15 on Wednesday because it couldn't match Cleveland's speed with Jefferson on the floor.
Simply handing that edge back to the Warriors by starting Love might prove too costly for Cleveland.
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Cavaliers face tough decision with Love's potential return
