Kevin Love to miss 3-4 weeks with calf strain

For the next 3-4 weeks, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be without their All-Star power forward.

On Tuesday, the team announced that Kevin Love would miss the next 3-4 weeks with a right calf strain. Love missed the Cavs’ season opener on Dec. 22 with the injury before playing on Saturday against the Detroit Pistons. He then reaggravated it during the Cavs’ win on Sunday over the Philadelphia 76ers. Love left the game in the second quarter and did not return.

Per the Cavs, Love underwent an MRI on Monday that confirmed the injury. After the 76ers game, Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said that Love underwent an ultrasound on the injury that night, but they wouldn’t know more until the MRI.

Love, in his one-plus game, has played a total of 46 minutes — most of which took place in the double-overtime win in Detroit. Due to rest and injury, he has missed 69 over the last two seasons.

With Love out, expect Larry Nance Jr. to start at power forward and for Dean Wade to consistently get minutes off of the bench. Neither can fully replace Love, but Nance is a better defender, a legit shooter now and defenses will probably start showing him more respect if he keeps making three-pointers. Wade, meanwhile, has been interesting in limited minutes and is worth a longer look.