For all the talk of his deficiencies on the less glamorous side of the ball, Cleveland’s defense actually tightened up by an astounding 6.3 points per 100 possessions with Love on the floor, according to NBAWowy.
One may believe the discrepancy occurs due to the Cavs’ lack of depth, or the fact that Love would most often get subbed out for the likes of Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson – two vets who remain productive, but don’t possess the foot speed to aptly defend these days.
However, perusing through Cleveland’s defensive numbers last season, we find another bit of evidence that speaks to Love’s importance on that end. With Love in the game and Tristan Thompson – a supposed stalwart of point-stopping – sitting, the Cavaliers yielded 106.6 points per 100 possessions. Meanwhile, with the stretch-four on the bench and Thompson in the game, Tyronn Lue’s team gave up 110.1 points per 100 possessions.