Kevin Love Self Praise and John Wall
Kevin Love is speaking of the mindset that he has to have to compete... If K Love was the power forward proto-type instead of who and what he is it wouldn't be a big deal to anyone. And Kevin Love is better than a top 5 power forward, just not as accomplished yet.
"Those are all guys you could argue are better then Love."
And you could just as easily argue that Love is better than any of the guys you listed. Love's only rival for best rebounder is Dwight. Love's offensive numbers are more impressive and more consistent than any other PF in the league right now. Love is possibly the best passing big man in the NBA. His range is 25 feet and he has plenty of post moves. Offensively I would take Love over any other PF, including the 7-foot wing named Dirk (That's not a knock--Dirk's a legend. But he really is more of a 3 than a 4). Love's progression from season to season has been amazing and I think he has the potential to continue improving on both ends of the floor.
A month ago I rated Aldridge, Dirk and Griffin ahead of Love. No longer. I'd now take Love over any PF in the NBA. The fact that he talks himself up is annoying, but he generally backs it up.
As a rookie 6th round pick Tom Brady told Robert Kraft (Patriot's owner) upon meeting him that picking him (Brady), was the best decision the Pats franchise had ever made. I've cheered against Brady for years, but at the end of the day his seemingly ridiculous words were a reflection of his well established confidence that he was able to back up. I don't know if Love can do the same, but based on his play and his improvement the last two years, I wouldn't bet against him.
Really? Kevin Love doesn't even shoot 44% from the field as a PF and has never been on a winning team. But you would take him over Bosh, Nowitzki (who is somewhat slumping), Gasol, Randolph, Alridge, Gasol, Stoudemire (garbage this year, but still a great player) and Griffin? All of those guys make their team better then Love does and that is a fact. I don't remember any of those guys winning 17 games as the man on their team.
You can take Love over all those guys and I'll take Griffin or Aldridge and watch my team win a lot more games, because they make their team better. Love might be a better rebounder and shooter (then all but Dirk), but he sucks at defense and isn't very good in the post. Tom Brady also has nothing to do with this at all.
Wall as I said his athleticism will alow him to dominate at times, more often than not, but he needs to refine his game regardless of what's going on, he needs his skill level to catch up so he can be as GOOD as everyone wants him to be, if not Steve Francis 2.0.
Chris "Like A" Bosh doesn't hold a candle to Big Daddy Love.
How on earth can you compare a little b!tch to a man who tears down the boards at will?
And criticizing Love for his 44% FG%. doesn't work. He's taking 5 3s a game. Of course his FG% isn't gonna be amazing.
25 and 14.5 a game. At the end of the day it's about production. Simple as that. It's not his fault his team doesn't win. It isn't a 1-man game.
Best PF in the game is Love. Griffin is #2.
Amare and Dirk don't do enough on the glass to be at the top. I mean Nowitzki is at 5.4 RPG. That's terrible for a 7-foot PF, even one who does quite a bit of his damage on the wing.
You're very narrow-minded for criticizing him for not winning. It's a 5-man sport. If you gave any elite post player a lack of talent around him...
....guess what...
He wouldn't win!
Holding someone accountable (a lack of talent around him) for something they can't control is incredibly illogical and inane.
By your logic, Luke Walton is a better player than Kevin Love, because Walton wins more.
Makes perfect sense!
No, you're narrow minded for thinking Love is better then Griffin. If you actually watched them play (I live in Minnesota) you would know it's really not close. Griffin came to the Clippers and they immediately became a better team, that did not happen with Kevin Love. When he broke out last year they were the worst team in basketball. Just because I simplified it doesn't mean I'm narrow minded. Watch them play instead of looking at the box scores.
@Dale Worthington
There's truth to what you're saying, but is it not also true that great players make their teammates better?
I watched a loss earlier this season for the Timberwolves and during a close game in the fourth, I promise the Timberwolves didn't run the offense through Love one time. He didn't get his teammates one easy basket.
He's a very good player who puts up big numbers, but I think some of his numbers are just that... Just numbers. Empty ones.
I've watched both guys play. Love puts the ball in the tin and tears down the boards. He has a high IQ, he plays within himself, has excellent range for a PF, and is an excellent passer for a big man.
The Wolves not winning has nothing to do with Love. No PF for get them to win with the lack of talent on that team (it's a bit better with Rubio, but still, no PF would get them to win).
It still amazes me that you guys are hating on Love for the lack of talent around him, again, something that he has ZERO control over.
Way to let my comment go way over your head. The great PF's in the league have been core parts of winning teams, Love has not. Despite being the best PF in the NBA in your opinion. Also before you go and say wait the Clippers only won 3 more games with Griffin then without! Look at all the missed games by Gordon, Kaman and others.
I think the thing about Kevin Love is that he really doesn't play from the post... He's more of a pick and pop guy. I mean, he's shooting 44% as a big man... He shoots three's, but still... You can't really run an offense through him and be successful at this point. He's not THE guy. He's not someone who you can pound the ball into and say "Either score or draw the double and kick it to open man." I think Blake Griffin CAN be that guy. He's not that guy yet, but I think he can be.
Love is a very good player who's still young and is going to get better, but I see him as more of a 2nd or 3rd option. Still a good player though. I've grown to respect him.
IndianaBasketball, I normally agree with everything you say, but seriously, how can a guy drop 25 and 15 (even if his #s drop, we're still talking about 22 and 13) and be the 2nd or 3rd option?
Who is he playing with here? Kobe and Durant?
EDIT: I may have misunderstood your post. Do you mean 2nd or 3rd option among PFs?
love's best teammate last year was beasley who i think little of as a complete player. His best teammate this season has probably been a rookie ricky rubio. Lets not act like any of those other pf's who are apparently so much better then love are playing with anything close to what love has to work with. Right now, there is little seperation among the top pf's. Love is worthy of a max deal and is a legit all-star candidate and if you dont think he helps make his team better, you dont know basketball. Its takes more then wins and losses to see how a guy helps his team.
its directed at you and everyone who brings up his teams lack of succes as to why hes overrated. I mean look at tonight. His numbers are equal so far to blakes. I've watching the game. He is playing blake to an absolute standstill. But while blake has 2 former all-stars in mo will and billups combining for about 40 points through 3 quarters. Love has darko trying to be the man and lead the way.
I love this statement by Kevin. Dont sleep on him he has the mentallity all the greats have. You think Mike would ever let anyone say he is anything but the best. Get out of here for the haters, anyone who doesnt like this statement is a pessimistic hater. Is he supposed to awnser "no Im not the best PF because if I am matched up with Nowitzki/Gasol/Aldridge (or whoever) they will beat me in a one on one matchup". Minnesota is going to start winning pretty soon with all that talent, leadership, established roles and direction, and when they do I will make an apology thread dedicated to him just for the haters.
I never said he shouldn't answer the question that way. I'm just saying that what he said wasn't true. Call me a hater, but he isn't a top 5 PF (barely) and is not going to be a #1 who you can win a title with. I think he'd be a perfect #2 for a title contender though.
Love is at a point in his career sort of like where Nowitzki was when he was pretty much jumpshooting big man.( Aldridge fits this mold also). If u say Aldridge is one of the top big man in the game then Love has to be up there right with him. Love is putting up better numbers than any pf in the game right now.Yeah is team hasnt won alot but he doesnt have the same talent on his team as other guys. Look at Kevin Garnett when he was in Minnesota he wasnt winning big because of the lack of talent and the only reason he won alitte while he was there was because he's a defensive force on the court unlike Love. AS of right now to me love is one of the top Pfs in the game and when Rubio and him get the right talent around them with Aldeman coaching the Timberwolves are going to be a force to be recken with. And for Love to be really as affective as he can be the Twolves are going to have to get rid of Beasley possible Derrick Williams if he cant translate into a true small forward instead of a hybrid because he reminds me of a more athletic Al Harrington in that he versital and can score but would probably be best served as a sixth man since he has no true position.
blake definitely would not have hit that shot love did to win it, neither would most other of the top pf's named as better then kevin...numbers don't lie, put love on the lakers, clippers, heat and they'd be that much better...get over it he is a monster and a force to be reckoned with. i have a feeling u dislike him because he doesnt fit the prototypical mold of a power forward but damn did he ever look good comin up with that huge turnover against BG ;) wolves r for real beotches!
YupYup I wasnt calling you out in any way or I would have stated your name. Your not a hater if you dont think he is a Top 5 PF thats just your opinion which is fine. even though there is not 5 PF's I would even consider taking over Love.
Why does it matter that Griffin couldn't have hit that shot? He has Chauncey Billups to shoot that, and Chris Paul when he is healthy. Numbers don't lie? How about the 5/16 Love shot, while pretty much sucking the whole game (although Griffin wasn't good either)? If you replaced Griffin with Love on the Clippers they would not be better. Maybe the Lakers, maybe the Heat, but the same can be said for Griffin, Aldridge, Nowitzki and Randolph. Just because he hit 1 game winning shot doesn't mean he all of a sudden passed 5 PF's to be the best in the game, I'm not foolish enough to base ones standing on 1 performance like everyone on here is doing.
Maybe thats because in this game down the stretch Griffin missed two free throws to basically ice the game, and Love hit a 3 to completely ice the game. So Griffin lost this game for his team and Love won this game for his team. Therefore in a sense if Griffin was playing on Minnesota and Love on LA...you catch my drift.
yupyup, the majority of your list above is arguable but to list Bosh in there is downright displicable. Replace Bosh with Love on that team and the Heat would never lose a game. Put Bosh on the Wolves and they'd be 3-12.
Say what you wish about Griffin but I wouldn't trade Love for Griffin either.
Kevin Love on NBA's best power forward: "It's me. Every time I step on the floor I have the upper hand"
"I'm an anomaly. I'm different. I'm tired of people saying what I can't do. Put me in any system and I'll have success."
He does this too much. He is playing great, and we realize it, you don't have to brag about yourself. And he is not better than Dirk or Bosh and it's arguable if he is better than Griffin
On to Wall, he has 13 9 and 9 in the 3rd, shame on all of you who were doubting him 5 games in.