It's been a struggle for Kevin Love to fit in with the Cleveland Cavaliers. His points per game are down, which was to be expected, but his field goal percentage is hovering just above 40 percent. His 3-point percentage has also plummeted, from 37 percent last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves to 33 percent with the Cavs.
Even when Love has a breakout offensive performance, like when he dropped 24 points in a blowout victory against the Los Angeles Clippers last Thursday, he follows it up with a steaming pile of poop, like his five point performance against the Indiana Pacers the following evening.
LeBron James appears to be fed up with Love's inconsistent play. This is certainly not the guy he thought the Cavs were giving up no.1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins for. After the Cavs 12-game winning streak was ended against the Pacers, James sent out this cryptic tweet that many thought was aimed at Love.
Stop trying to find a way to FIT-OUT and just FIT-IN. Be apart of something special! Just my thoughts
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 8, 2015After the Cavs beat down the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon, a game in which Love scored 32 points, his highest total all season, James was asked about the tweet.
“It was more about people in general,” James told the Akron Beacon Journal. “It was a general thought I had. Obviously whatever thought I have people try to encrypt it and Da Vinci code it and all that stuff. People are always trying to fit out instead of fit in and be part of something special. That’s what it’s all about.”
Reporters weren't buying it. Many of them remember some comments Love made in October that read like this:
“I’m comfortable and just not trying to, I guess, fit in so much. I had a talk with the guys on the plane ride over (to Brazil) and also at different practices off the floor and they told me to fit out. Just be myself.”
"Fit in." "Fit out." The same exact words LeBron used in his tweet. Someone brought this up to James, and for a moment, he let his guard down.
“It’s not a coincidence, man," he said.
James has been pushing Love publicly, first stating that he needs to be more confident when he shoots, and now this. Whatever he's doing looks like it's working. Love was on fire Sunday in what was by far his best performance in a Cavalier uniform this season.
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[Via Akron Beacon Journal]
