How does Kevin Love’s injury affect the East?
Davis Rich | Co-News Editor
Under somewhat dubious circumstances, Kevin Love was injured in the Cavaliers’ Game 4 win over the Celtics. A dislocated shoulder will sideline the All-Star power forward for 4-6 weeks, and likely the duration of the playoffs. As convoluted as the East already is, this injury further complicates the playoff picture. Here’s my infallible take on what will go down over the next month in the Eastern Conference, looking at each surviving team in contention (sorry Milwaukee and Chicago).
Cleveland:
Even though Kevin Love struggled through a middling regular season, he’s been one of the most efficient offensive players during the playoffs. Love’s offensive rating is 120.5, only behind JJ Barea for the most efficient regular so far in the playoffs. The Cavaliers may struggle to shoulder the offensive load without their high-scoring power forward. Kyrie Irving and Lebron James combined for over 50 points per game, and Lebron is simply a whole different animal in the playoffs. However, there is no third scorer without Love, which could cause problems when defenses hone in on Irving and James and force players like JR Smith and Timofey Mozgov to beat them. If no one on the Cavaliers steps up to fill Love’s scoring void, Cleveland’s second round series, against defensively-minded teams in Chicago or Milwaukee, could get ugly.
Atlanta:
The Hawks are actually in danger of losing a playoff series to the Nets. Yes, the Nets who traded for Thaddeus Young at the deadline, who are led by the player formerly known as Deron Williams, whose name is synonymous with front office mismanagement. Those Nets. You know your team is in trouble when DeMarre Carroll is your best offensive weapon in the playoffs so far. As I’ve mentioned in this space earlier, nearly every Hawks player has regressed offensively after a torrid start. Jeff Teague is putting on his best Michael Carter-Williams impersonation, role players like Kent Bazemore and Dennis Schroeder hemorrhage points when they are on the floor, and the front court of Al Horford and Paul Millsap have two combined functional arms. You can see why I’m not to bullish on Atlanta’s chances in the East, unless their offensive fortunes turn around quickly.
Washington:
Atlanta’s potential opponent in round two is headed in the opposite direction. The Wizards absolutely eviscerated the Raptors in round one, led by offensive breakouts from Paul Pierce, Marcin Gortat, and Otto Porter. In the thirty-one minutes those three have been on the floor with John Wall and Bradley Beal, the Wizards are outscoring opponents by 19 points. Somehow, Gortat and Pierce have offensive efficiency ratings above 130. While this potency on the offensive end of the court might not be sustainable, the Wizards are trending up in the East.
Chicago:
The Bulls are hitting their stride at the perfect time of the season. While the front court remains messy, Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose are performing just the way Chicago fans hoped they would come playoff time. Butler is among playoff leaders in scoring, and is contributing a net rating of 23 per 100 possessions. The Marquette product is becoming a superstar in the playoffs, á la Paul George or Kawhi Leonard. While Rose could work on his shot selection, he’s creating offense at an All-NBA clip. My worry with Chicago is depth. Do the Bulls, carrying seven or eight serviceable players, have the grit and endurance to go toe to toe with the Cavaliers? I see the potential Cleveland-Chicago round two matchup as the most important series in determining Eastern supremacy, with the Cavs coming out on top.
