“Keep holdin’ down the fort”.
Those were the words uttered by Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue as he chuckled at the memory of Kevin Love saying that he was just holding down the fort at center. He’s not really holding down the fort, it is his fort.
Love, a four-time All-Star (including last season), hasn’t been a nominal center since his rookie season. He initially had tell-tale signs of his misgivings about the position, consistently citing the physical tools of opposing centers and sounding like a man being asked to accomplish a difficult task. It makes sense considering his physical limitations; undersized at 6-foot-10 and while having gotten quicker over the past two seasons by adopting a more svelte physique, still lacking the upper-end athleticism that quite a few NBA centers have.