Kevin Love says he's been dealing with back problems since November
Thursday night's Cleveland Cavaliers game offered up a now-familiar sight: the Cavs using a fourth-quarter surge, powered by electric performances from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, to come from behind and beat the San Antonio Spurs, all while Kevin Love was parked on the bench.
Love sat out the entire fourth quarter, finishing the game with just eight points on 2-of-10 shooting, the 11th time this season he's failed to crack double digits, a threshold he hit in every game last season.
Love's diminished role in the Cavs' offence is an oft-cited factor in his sudden decline, but his health is rarely mentioned. Love told ESPN's Mike Wallace on Saturday he's been dealing with recurring back spasms and stiffness since November.
"It's something I want to get right before we get to the playoffs, because that's what's most important at this point," Love said. "It's not something that's - I'm going to have to address my body. But I address my body every offseason. I'll go from my toe all the way up to my head to try to figure out how to better my body for next season. It's not something that's going to bother me down the road."
For all his struggles this season, Love has been remarkably resilient, and despite his ongoing back issues, he's missed just three games.
As for finding his place on his team (something Love's seemingly been trying to do since training camp), he still has a ways to go.
"It's still a work in progress, but I think I've figured it out a little better," he said. "It's like (former coach Kevin) McHale used to tell me: Just go where they ain't. Just go out there and try to space the floor as best as I can."
"I think it's a work in progress for all of us still, probably a little more for him," James agreed. "The biggest thing is that Kevin is a very, very, very good basketball player. And in order for us to be very successful ultimately, we need him to play at a higher level. That doesn't mean scoring. Everybody gets so caught up in scoring. We have enough scoring. It's not about one individual scoring the ball. It's about doing everything else."
At the end of the day, though, the solution may boil down to one simple, well-worn sports mantra: winning cures all. Love and the Cavs, winners of 23 of 28 games, are putting that to the test.
"Everything is easier when you're winning," Love said. "So you can have some really good games, and then some tough times. The rotation might be different. But as long as you're winning, it kind of makes up for everything. And that's the kind of way it's been here."