INDEPENDENCE, Ohio _ Kevin Love didn't sound sure if it's a noble experiment or the new reality.
But he said he's spent "quite a bit" of the first week of practice working at center and Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said Saturday he's considering starting Love at the 5 over Tristan Thompson when the regular season begins Oct. 17.
"We did a lot of that last training camp," Love said Saturday after practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts. "But as far as how the sets are put together right now throughout training camp, I am seeing a pretty significant amount of time there. With so many guys on the team and so many lineups that we can throw out there, it will probably change."
In the frontcourt, the Cavs added forwards Jae Crowder, Jeff Green and Cedi Osman, along with developmental Turkish center Ante Zizic. In the backcourt, the Cavs acquired Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade and Isaiah Thomas, with Thomas out with a hip injury until perhaps Jan. 1.
In a scrimmage during Tuesday's first practice, Love was the center along with starters LeBron James, Crowder, Derrick Rose and J.R. Smith. Love has moved little since.
"A little bit here and there, just depends on if we've gone with our starting lineup that we've had in the past with T-Top at the 5 and me at the 4," Love said. "We've been definitely interchangeable in that respect. But also I think Ty likes to match Tristan and I against each other. So I think I will see a lot time at the 5 in practices going against T-Top."
Asked what he liked about Love at the 5, Lue said, "Spacing opportunities, spacing the floor. Being able to play through the elbows with multiple guys. We'll see."
Perhaps not right away.
James missed three days of practice after stepping on a teammate's foot in transition and rolling his left ankle Wednesday. Despite a day off Sunday, Lue said James will miss Monday's Wine and Gold Scrimmage at Quicken Loans Arena, so what Lue has in mind for his starting lineup may not be immediately revealed. The Cavs' preseason opener is Wednesday at home against the Atlanta Hawks.
Love offered a little more detail about what the Cavs coaching staff likes with him at center.
"Just the spacing on the floor. Tristan is a very dynamic roller, a guy that plays a lot as a dunker," Love said. "Myself, I have to play inside-out, mix that up and really take what the defense gives you. But it gives us a different look.
"I mentioned different dynamics out there on the floor with different lineups. We're so deep now that D-Wade and a lot of guys similar in size at that 4-5 spot, we're going to see guys playing interchangeable. It's not just going to be on the defensive end in that regard."
Lue said he wasn't worried about the Cavs losing something on defense if Love replaces Thompson in the lineup.
"No. I'm fine," Lue said.
Lue has used Love in a small ball lineup, most notably against the Detroit Pistons in the 2016 playoffs. Thompson has been particularly valuable in the postseason, especially in the Finals in three consecutive meetings against the Golden State Warriors.
Love has played power forward in seven of his eight years in the league. The exception came in 2008-09, when he played center as a rookie for Minnesota Timberwolves. That season he ranked ninth in the league in rebounding (9.1) and led the league in offensive rebounds per 48 minutes (6.4).
Last season, Love averaged 19 points and 11.1 rebounds (eighth in the NBA), both his best in his three years with the Cavs. Thompson's game is more limited offensively as he averaged 8.1 points last season along with 9.2 rebounds (15th in the NBA), including 3.7 offensive rebounds (fifth in the league).
The departure of Kyrie Irving, traded to the Boston Celtics on Aug. 22, and an influx of new players has challenged Lue in devising his rotations. In Wade's first practice Wednesday, Wade ran the point on a second team that included Green, Kyle Korver, Iman Shumpert and Thompson.
Love said his offseason workouts included a little more center-specific preparation, but he's not sure what will unfold in the next 2 { weeks.
"They had told me that I might play a little more at the 5, depending on how our lineups shake out," Love said. "But we will just have to wait and see."
