Pat Riley, Andy Elisburg, and the rest of the Miami Heat front office have made a splash by signing five-time NBA all-star Kevin Love for the remainder of the 2022-23 season. Love will now join a Miami team in the middle of the pact in the Eastern Conference and will play alongside Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, to name a few.
Kevin Love intends to sign with the Heat after clearing waivers, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/C2GQQqC1XP
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 19, 2023
Love is coming off of an eight-and-a-half-year run as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Love was acquired by the Cavs from the Minnesota Timberwolves in the summer of 2014, immediately following the return of LeBron James to The Land. Love’s tenure as a Cav consisted of an NBA championship in 2016 and three all-star game appearances.
Love’s impact in Cleveland was so meaningful that the team has already announced plans to retire Love’s number zero once the sharpshooter retires.
No. 0 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/sglcu6j2su
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 19, 2023
Love’s time in Cleveland ended a couple of days ago after both sides agreed to a buyout due to Cleveland’s youth movement; Love had lost some playing time this season and will now be able to pursue another ring in South Beach.
It seems as if Love will now slide into the starting power forward spot with the Heat and will thus be paired up with two-time all-star center Bam Adebayo; Love’s three-point-making ability will allow Miami to spread open the court more while also taking some defensive attention away from Adebayo.
Another critical aspect of Love’s game that will hugely favor Miami will be his rebounding, as the fifteen-year vet is averaging over ten rebounds per game in his stellar career.
The Heat’s most significant weakness this season is their inability to make the three-point shot consistently; with that said, Love’s three-point percentage is currently at thirty-five percent, which places him in the Heat’s top five in that category amongst players such as Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin.
Two names to watch who may benefit significantly from Love’s arrival are Duncan Robinson and Max Strus. Robinson has recently returned to action after undergoing surgery on his shooting hand, while Strus has been relied on as the Heat’s sharpshooter this season. Both of these guys will now have more opportunities for open looks and less pressure of being the primary three-point shooter on the team due to Love’s ability and track record of being an elite shooter throughout his career.
Something of note, Love will return to his original NBA number of 42, which he wore with the Timberwolves before switching to zero when he joined the Cavs.
All in all, after many fans were disappointed with the team’s decision not to bring any reinforcements during the NBA trade deadline, Heat Nation is now ecstatic with the arrival of Kevin Love.
LOVE to see it ✍️
OFFICIAL: The Miami HEAT have signed 5x #NBAAllStar Kevin Love. pic.twitter.com/27zpl848r3
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) February 20, 2023
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