Age catches up with all of us at one point or another, and Kevin Love is no different.

Through 14 games, Love averages 6.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 36.9 percent shooting and 36.7 percent from three-point range.

The 36-year-old has had a rocky and inconsistent start to his 17th NBA season. His athleticism is all but gone, but the championship veteran is a clever and crafty veteran who uses his size well. Unfortunately, this has led to a few games where he has shown his value offensively. In the games he’s played thus far, he averages 2.5 attempts on two-point shots and 3.5 from three-point range. In games when his perimeter shot is not falling, Love’s offense is replaceable and potentially worth using other options on the team.

His defense on most nights is even worse. During the season, he is averaging 0.9 steals and 0.1 blocks. These numbers were not much better in his previous seasons with the Miami Heat, but he was much more mobile and able to switch onto most big men for several possessions and hold up reasonably well. Now, he nearly gets scored on every possession and cannot defend post-up attempts from anybody.

Love is playing 11.8 minutes a game and only has one game within the last eight, where he’s played at least 15 minutes. It looks more likely the Heat’s first-round pick, Kel’el Ware, will deserve those minutes as the season progresses. Ware has dominated in the G-League, averaging 18.5 points, 10 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on 55.2 percent shooting and 33.3 percent from three-point range. Best of all, Ware is averaging 3.5 blocks per game.

Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook.  

MAUI, Hawaii – Haley Cavinder recorded her second consecutive double-double with a 25-point, 12-rebound performance, and the University of Miami women’s basketball team shot an exceptional 60.0 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from behind the arc en route to a dominant 84-53 victory over Nevada (5-7) to open the Maui Classic. With the victory, the Hurricanes (10-1, 1-0) improved to 10-1.

Haley Cavinder was sensational yet again for Miami, as she dropped a game-high 25 points on 11-16 shooting from the field, including 2-4 from behind the arc, and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and dished out a game-high seven assists.

Cameron Williams poured in 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds, Natalija Marshall chipped in 12 points, and Darrione Rogers scored 11 points as four Miami players reached double figures in the contest.

Miami was tremendous on both ends of the court, as they recorded season-high clips of 60.0 percent shooting from the field (33-55) and 47.1 percent from behind the arc (8-17) while limiting Nevada to just 39.3 percent shooting from the field and 28.0 percent from behind the arc. The Canes dominated the glass, outrebounding Nevada 33-21, and Miami outscored Nevada in the paint, 44-24.

The Canes also had a season-low seven turnovers, as they cared for the basketball exceptionally. After falling behind 13-11 late in the first quarter, Miami reeled off a 4-0 run to end the stanza, as they held a 15-13 lead entering the second period. The Canes opened the second quarter of an 8-0 run, extending the lead up to 10 points at the 6:54 mark in the period. Miami continued their dominant play, leading 39-26 at halftime.

The Canes were sensational in the third quarter, as they shot 66.7 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from behind the arc, outscoring Nevada 24-12 to take a 63-38 lead into the final period.

Miami cruised over the last 10 minutes, earning the 31-point victory over Nevada to open the Maui Classic. The Canes will return to the court Friday evening, as they are set to face Oregon State at 11 p.m.

Courtesy of Miami Athletics

Any basketball fan can make the case Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro deserves All-Star honors.

We wish them luck in creating a better endorsement than Terry Rozier. 

The Miami Heat social media team released a snippet of a video Thursday evening asking players to make a case for one teammate to make the All-Star Game. The brief clip featured Rozier pounding his fist and replying, “That’s easy.”

“Cold-ass white boy,” Rozier said, briefly going off camera before returning. “Tyler Herro.”

You can feel however you want about Rozier, especially after his struggles earlier this season. We feel two things are nonetheless true. 

First off, the endorsement itself is awesome. The NBA All-Star Game (and all-star games in general) may not have the same relevancy, excitement, or format of decades ago, but it’s always nice to see players creatively stump for their teammates. 

Rozier certainly went the extra length to ensure voters know to support Herro. 

More importantly, Herro is well on pace to earn his first All-Star selection. He averages 24.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. 

Herro’s 47.6 shooting percentage is easily a career-high, and he’s played in all 24 games. It’s not hard to imagine where the Heat would be without Herro’s stellar performances at point guard.

NBA All-Star Game voting runs through Jan. 20. If you’re on the fence about voting for Herro, just keep Rozier in mind.

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.