Kevin Love will start in Game 1 of the NBA Finals

The Cleveland Cavaliers will have Kevin Love available for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The team released a statement Thursday afternoon indicating that Love has cleared the concussion protocol and will be available to play.

During yesterday’s media day, Tyronn Lue was asked if Love would be moved into a reserve role for defensive reasons. Lue responded by indicating that Love will return to the starting lineup:

Q. We’ve been talking about this for years ever since Cavs and Warriors started about how this is a tough fit for him series-wise. Is there any scenario where you would consider, even if he were healthy, bringing Kevin off the bench just because of the defensive match-ups that you need?

TYRONN LUE: No.

It’s still unclear what position Love will play within the starting lineup. The team may choose to start Jeff Green over Tristan Thompson in order to have Green guard Kevin Durant.

Last year we saw that having LeBron James guard Durant full-time was untenable, and Thompson was pulled out of rebounding position against Draymond Green. Having Love and Green as the bigs may be a way for the Cavs to combat that issue.

The Cavs face a daunting task and will need all the help they can get. Based on how Love played against the Warriors in the regular season, his presence should help this series be more competitive.