The Cavaliers are down to the Big 2 ... for now.
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Already trailing in an arms race with the Warriors, their biggest rival whether they want to label them as such or not, after the Warriors added former MVP and four-time scoring champ Kevin Durant to its star-studded roster, the Cavaliers will be without one of their biggest weapons for the foreseeable future.
The team announced Tuesday all-star power forward Kevin Love will be out six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair an ailing knee. Initially, it was reported the 6-10, 251-pounder would receive a second option Tuesday. He wound up having an arthroscopic procedure at a facility in New York to have what the Cavs described as a "loose body" taken from his left knee.
The eight-year veteran was enjoying his finest season as a Cavalier. In 46 games, the UCLA product was averaging 20 points and a team-high 11.1 rebounds per game. Love had already been ruled out of Tuesday night's matchup against the Timberwolves, his former employer.
Love's absence will deplete the frontline of a Cavaliers squad tied for ninth in the league in rebounding. Along with his presence on the glass, the Cavs will also be missing one of the league's top stretch power forwards.
Prior to his injury, Love was shooting 38.4 percent from 3-point range, good enough for the fifth-best mark on the team behind newly-acquired sharpshooter Kyle Korver, rated second in the NBA at 44.1 percent from deep, reserve Channing Frye (42.2 percent), No. 8 in the league, Iman Shumpert (40.2) and fellow all-star Kyrie Irving (39.5).
While Cleveland has shooters for days, they likely won't be able to replace Love's intangibles such as his ability to throw pinpoint outlet passes to jumpstart the Cavaliers' fastbreak offense, another category they rank among the league's best in.
Consider the floor-length dime Love dropped to LeBron James to hit a game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation in the Cavs' marquee matchup against the Wizards last week.
Love being sidelined, could force coach Tyronn Lue to insert Frye into the starting lineup. He's averaging 9.1 points and 3.5 rebounds while playing 18 minutes per game, but has started just three contests. Who knows what it might mean for 31-year-old James' workload? Last year's Finals MVP, is tied with Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry for NBA lead in minutes played per game at 37.6? The Cavs, who recently added former No. 2 overall pick small forward Derrick Williams to the fold on a 10-day contract, had been in the market for a backup point guard.