NBA Rumors: Cleveland Cavaliers Bench Kevin Love For Finals; LeBron James, Kyrie Irving Opt For Tristan Thompson To Start

By Mitch de Leon
NBA: Playoffs-Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers
May 25, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) grabs a rebound against Toronto Raptors center Bismack Biyombo (8) in the second quarter in game five of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena.  David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers are on their way to claim their second chance at beating the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. With the historic win of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green over Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, the LeBron James squad clearly have to up their game if they plan to go home with the championship trophy this NBA season. Given their shaky games against the Toronto Raptors of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, fans feel that the best way to win is to bench Kevin Love.

The former Minnesota Timberwolves star, who shone in the Kevin Garnet squad way before Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns took over, is considered a liability by the Cleveland Cavaliers at times. The injuries of Doctor Love, who almost signed with the Boston Celtics in the past, have made him a high risk for the Kyrie Irving squad - one they cannot afford to deal with in the Finals against the Golden State Warriors. With this in mind, should the Cleveland Cavaliers just start Tristan Thompson instead of gambling the games with Love?

In the 2014-15 NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers relied heavily on Thompson due to the injuries of Love. This proved to be the breakout season of the Canadian star - one that landed him a massive lucrative contract with the LeBron James team. Will the worth of his contract be finally put to test in the NBA Finals? Should the Cleveland Cavaliers now get their money's worth from Thompson? Is he a better starter than the problematic Kevin Love?

The answer appears to be in the negative. According to Tyronn Lue, one of the turning points of the Cleveland Cavaliers' games especially during the NBA playoffs 2016 was the meeting with the Big Three. That is, the management and staff had to get together to make sure that LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are on the same page. Given their astounding performance against the Toronto Raptors, it looks like all three understood the importance of this NBA season.

"We had a chance to sit down and talk," shared Lue. The Cleveland Cavaliers head coach added, "I just think the Big Three sitting down and getting on the same page of understanding what they need from each other on a nightly basis and understanding that they have to trust each other and also trust the team. We had that talk in front of everyone and everyone kind of gave their opinion and kind of talked about what they expected and what we needed to do better. From that day on, we kind of took off and we became a better team."

Meanwhile, LeBron James is shrugging off the betting odds against the Cleveland Cavaliers. According to King James, the predictions which favor the Golden State Warriors winning the title once again. The former Miami Heat star, albeit respectful of the talent of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, shared his confidence over his team's skills.

"Not my concern," said James of the predictions stacking up against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He added, "I don't get involved in all of that -- underdog, overdog, whatever the case may be. It's stupidity."

  • ‘Wang Mingdao’s Diary’ reproduction highlights complexities of contemporary Chinese Christianity

    On December 9, the China Graduate School of Theology (中国神学研究院) hosted a public lecture titled “A Courageous Witness in the Times—Launch of Wang Mingdao (王明道)’s Diary.” The lecture, themed “Faith Patterns in Beijing’s Christian Churches Through the Lens of Wang Mingdao’s Diary,” featured Dr. Ni Buxiao (倪步晓), Associate Director and Assistant Professor at the Christian Faith and Chinese Culture Research Center of Alliance Bible Seminary (建道神学院), as the keynote speaker.

  • Floating library ‘Doulos Hope’ arrives in Taiwan; spreading love and hope from a former cruise ship

    Doulos Hope, the international floating book fair ship, has returned to Taiwan and is now docked at Kaohsiung Port, open to the public from December 18, 2024, to January 12, 2025. Originally built in 1991 and renovated in 2022, the ship features over 2,000 books on various topics, including faith, science, and art. It is operated by a diverse crew of 140 volunteers from 25 countries, offering services such as education, healthcare, and community outreach. The ship's mission is to spread hope and

  • Chinese Online School of Theology publishes annual ministry report: Expanding Chinese theological education through new strategies

    In the 2023-2024 academic year, New York-based Chinese Online School of Theology (COST) has seen significant development in expanding its ministry in theological education and mission outreach. They have promoted a series of new events and projects to explore different strategies that expand theological education for Chinese ministers. The following are some highlights from the 2023-2024 annual report:

  • Dr. Fenggang Yang: How foreign forces transformed traditional Chinese legal systems

    In a recent lecture to Chinese Christians, scholar Dr. Fenggang Yang (杨凤岗) gave an in-depth analysis of the historical evolution and contemporary significance of the modern legal system in Chinese society. He explored the tensions and integrations between traditional law and modern rule of law, highlighting the distinctive characteristics of China’s traditional legal system and emphasizing the role of foreign influences in introducing modern legal practices into Chinese society.

Top Stories