Kevin Love returns to the Cleveland Cavaliers after a 50 game absence due to injury. Love’s return was a rather brief six minutes.
It has been a long time since Kevin Love suited up in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform. In fact his absence lasted 50 games. The good news for the Cavaliers is that absence came to an end Friday as Kevin Love returned to the lineup.
Coming into the game Kevin Love was going to be on a minutes restriction. The fact that his return lasted only six minutes is hardly a surprise. The team wants to ensure that Love does not re-injure himself by playing too much too early.
In his six minutes of game time Kevin Love was a bit rusty shooting the ball. Love attempted five shots in the contest, three of which were from deep. Unfortunately Love only converted one attempt, a two-point shot. Love added two more points at the free throw line, making both of his attempts. Rounding out his performance Love added one rebound and one assist. Love finished the game with four points on the night.
After exiting the game it was announced that Love would not participate in Saturday’s game. The Cavaliers keeping Love out of a second game of back-to-back is not earth shattering by any means. Many teams in the NBA utilize this exact same process when easing players back into game action.
If the Cavaliers were not a basement team this season, the process in which they would ease Kevin Love back into game action may be a bit different. Since they are one of the worst teams in the league this season, it is better to ensure the longterm health of the best player on the roster. The team has nothing to play for, why risk an unnecessary injury during the recovery process?
