The Cavaliers will be without All-Star Forward Kevin Love for at least the next 6 weeks because of a minor knee procedure. Love was putting up crazy numbers, 20 PPG and 11.1 RPG in 46 games. Love is the only player in the Eastern Conference averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds and is one of only five in the entire league. With the injury to Love, the Cavaliers seem likely to make an acquisition before the trading deadline and during "buyout season". But should the Cavs make a move...and if they do to what extent?
After a day of thinking about life without K-Love for a month and the likelihood of Love coming back before the playoffs, the Cavs really shouldn't make a giant move like Carmelo (for example). Its not just giving up Kevin Love but potentially a combination of Iman Shumpert and Channing Frye to get Melo doesn't make sense. Sure the addition of Melo would be great on paper with Love out but it would increase the minutes of Korver, Liggins, and Jefferson at the shooting guard position. Which seems fine for the time being but the Cavs should be wary about extending playing time of aging vets like Korver and Jefferson. And outside of gutting their rotation. Why would the Cavs only give themselves a handful of games, before the playoffs, to find the chemistry on-court with a "Big Four". It would seem to benefit the Cavs to stay away from a blockbuster deal and basically play the rest of the season "status quo". So what should the Cavs do, its not like they are going to waste open roster spots?
"Status quo", in this situation, means keeping options open for guys like Larry Sanders, Mario Chalmers, and Jameer Nelson. Whether its a move via a trade or via free agency the Cavs should continue to find guys like Jordan McRae and Dahntay Jones. Guys who seemed to be afterthoughts but played an important role on the Championship team last year.
Heck, the Cavs hope to have found something like that in Derrick Williams. The former second overall pick in the 2011 draft was looking to join a winning opportunity after being waived by the Miami Heat earlier this month. The guy hasn't been on a team that's won over 32 games in a season...and now he's averaging 21 mins off the bench and scoring about 10 PPG in his short three game stint in Cleveland. And this is all while playing on a 10-day contract.
We know they can win games without Love and fans really shouldn't freak out and want some type of drastic change. It seems like fans forget the run during the 2015 playoffs. Losing Love in the first round and still making it to the finals without him and without any real challenge. But sure, "maybe" the Cavs end up losing a few more games than expected...and "maybe" end the season the second or third seed in the Eastern Conference. That shouldn't cause us fans to freak out. We are still talking about a defending championship team who has shown their ability to fight through adversity. So let me quote Aaron Rodgers for a second "R-E-L-A-X".
Everything is going to be okay and let's not freak out if the Cavs aren't involved in some type of blockbuster trade by Thursday, February 23 at 3p.m. EST.
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