How two former Cavs are mentoring Utah’s young roster

Kevin Love and Georges Niang are back in Cleveland…as members of the Utah Jazz. They are not playing the same level of minutes as they did in years past, but the two forwards have different roles in the league now: as veterans mentoring a young team, stewarding them through the trials and tribulations of the NBA.

“As a coach, I can say things until I’m blue in the face,” Jazz Head Coach Will Hardy said pre-game. “But I think hearing messages from people who have what our young players want, which is longevity in the NBA, it’s gonna carry more weight than anything that I say.”

“They (Love and Niang) are very honest with their opinion,” Hardy continued. “I think both of them, they’ve obviously both had different journeys in their NBA careers. But these are two guys who have been relentless in their pursuit of maximizing who they are. They’re both very intelligent people on and off the court.”

Niang has been nursing a foot injury and has not appeared in a game this season. The Cavs traded him to Atlanta last season as part of the De’Andre Hunter deal, before he was shipped to Utah this past offseason. His role in Cavalier lore is relatively short-lived compared to his teammate. Love, age 37, was released nearly three years ago and promptly signed with the Miami Heat.

Both players, now in the later stages of their careers, have taken key leadership roles on a team that features one of the youngest coaches in the league – the same age as Love.

“I think they’ve both really push the messaging to our young players of how valuable opportunity is in this league,” Hardy added. “They’ve also modeled really good behavior in terms of their processes every day.“

Love will always have a place in Cavs fans’ hearts, from the defense on Stephen Curry in the 2016 NBA Finals to signing an extension to stay on the North Coast even after LeBron James took his talents West. His number will in all likelihood, be retired and placed into the rafters of Rocket Arena, as it should be.

Love is averaging 17 minutes and seven points per game on a Utah team that has the 11th-youngest roster in the NBA. But his impact, and Niang’s, is still being felt whether on or off the court.

“They have a lot of perspective of their experiences, all the places they’ve been, and I’m trying to learn from them as well,” Hardy said. “We’re still trying to cultivate our environment, but I don’t think we have it perfected yet. It’s something that we spend a lot of time and energy on, but they’ve been a great resource for not just the young players, but for me as well.”