Kevin Love, the Cleveland Cavaliers' All-star forward, has been diagnosed with a fractured left hand after making contact with Detroit Pistons' forward, Reggie Bullock. Love's fractured hand is expected to heal around six to eight weeks, giving the Cavs another problem to deal with.
Love has recently been on the headlines due to the reported brewing tension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, particularly with new point guard Isaiah Thomas. The locker room problems, along with the injuries to Thomas and Rose, have put the former champions in a rough spot, and Love's latest setback made things worse.
Love's injury came after the forward tried to catch an entry pass just under the rim. Love was fouled on the catch, with Pistons forwards Anthony Tolliver and Reggie Bullock slapping the ball out of Love. Bullock's hand, in particular, hit Love's left hand, which is the forward's off hand.
While a surgery can help heal the hand better, the Cavs are uncertain as to whether Love should undergo the process. The x-rays of Love's hand revealed a "non-displaced fracture" in the fifth metacarpal, which is not severe enough to warrant surgery.
A hand fracture can take several weeks to heal, especially since NBA players rely on hand movement most of the time. Love's expected return will take around two months, just in time for the NBA Playoffs come April.
NBA big men are usually susceptible to hand injuries due to constant steal attempts whenever they are posting up. One of the most recent big men to sustain a similar injury before Love is Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic, who is now nearing a return to practice after suffering it last December.
The Cavaliers will need to find a way to replace Love's scoring and much-needed rebounding. The Cavs have struggled in the rebounding department, and Love's 9.4 rebounds a game will be desperately missed.
Fans can expect forward Jae Crowder to start at power forward, offering better defense but worse offense and rebounding compared to Love.
