It appeared in some form in almost every analysis of the landmark Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas swap: Irving would thrive in Boston and evolve from his hoggy dribbling in his new pick-and-roll partnership with Al Horford -- a shifty screener who can shoot, roll, and keep the ball whizzing with expert passing. So, umm, didn't Irving just get out of a partnership with Kevin Love -- a shifty screener who can shoot, roll, and pass, and was considered in many corners a top-10 overall player when Cleveland flipped Andrew Wiggins(and Anthony Bennett!) for him three years ago? If Thomas is out for an extended period, shouldn't Cleveland be able to maintain an elite offense -- and avoid overtaxing LeBron -- by leaning on its other All-Star? But Love's name barely appeared in any evaluation of the trade, or of how Cleveland might proceed without Thomas. If anything, he was trade bait again. Jae Crowder could siphon some of his minutes as a small-ball power forward, and the Cavs finally had a tasty trade asset -- the Nets pick -- to attach to Love in trade talks for another star. The degree to which Love had become an afterthought was astounding. read more http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20695669/zach-lowe-kevin-love-cleveland-cavaliers-nba
