Kevin Love is clearly great at several things. He's a phenomenal rebounder and all-world outlet-pass-thrower. He produces absurdly high "boxscore" ratings (e.g., PER) when he plays. So lots of people think he's an all-star waiting to happen. Presumably that's why he got picked for the US Worlds' team (along with other "stars" like Tyson Chandler). Yet... his coaches seem curiously reluctant to play him. His minutes for the US team declined every game until he played _1_ minute in the Final. And now he's getting benched in favor of Blazer-for-about-three-days Anthony Tolliver? I think I know what it is: it's the Sergio syndrome. He's another player who just looks SO GREAT when he does his flashy dribbling-and-passing thing. He makes passes that less than 1% of NBA players would think to try. SURELY he must be an NBA player - he just needs the right system. And yet... he never finds it. Maybe, just maybe DEFENSE IS ACTUALLY IMPORTANT!
Perhaps. But I think the situation here is different. There isn't anyone else on the whole fucking T'Wolves team that plays D. There isn't anyone else on the whole fucking T'Wolves team that is better then Love. Had Sergio come to Portland the year Telfair was the starting point guard, Sergio would have deserved to start because he may have been limited but Telfair had nothing. Seriously, Toliver is a pile of steaming crap. Maybe Love is a limited player but he actually has some ability. Toliver has nothing. I don't think Portland should trade any of their big men for Love. But if Portland could get him on the cheap I wouldn't be against it.
Yeah, I don't see the comparison.... yeah, I get it, Rasta means that neither player is a good defender, but Sergio was so one-dimensional. Love rebounds, passes, and scores. I'd say Love is more like Zach Randolph, but he can pass the ball, so maybe that's not even a good comparison.
Yeah... I don't get it. Love is a great rebounder and he's a pretty good scorer and a pretty good passer. Sergio was a great passer... only. Are they both sub-par defensively? Sure. That doesn't mean they're the same. Ed O.
He's better than Zach defensively. As for the OP's point that he didn't play much for team USA, that had to do with the style of ball that the US was playing more than anything else. Love when he played was averaging something like 25/25 per 48 minutes. Also, funny that the person who started this thread would bash a guy for defense when he has suggested on many occasions that we trade for Calderon and many other Euro's who are garbage at D.
Pah. It depends on how you carve up abilities. Sergio can also dribble and penetrate. Aren't those skills? Isn't the second one of them precisely the main thing Blake lacked? And as for shooting, I bet Sergio could beat Love in a game of HORSE. Of course I exaggerate. But the main point of comparison is that both of them have screaming fans who just can't understand why they don't get more PT. In Love's case they include national media members who dubbed him "The US Team's Secret Weapon" -- shortly before his minutes dropped off a cliff. (And if Anthony Tolliver is a "steaming pile of crap" what does that say about the player whose minutes he took in a close game?)
I agree, but only when Oden's healthy and can guard the rim for him. He could be a poor man's Millsap.
While I don't agree with Rasta that Love is actually just a PER star who doesn't deserve minutes due to defense, it appears he's right in that that's how Minnesota (or Rambis, anyway) views him: http://www.startribune.com/sports/w...qPk4DyCc75DiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr
The only reason I can think that Rambis would do this, would be as a psychological ploy to get Love on the same page as him defensively. No better time to do that then during the 1st game of the season. I'd think Rambis (who's a lousy coach IMO) would do the same thing if Aldridge was on his team.
Tolliver did have 4 blocks in the Wolves game vs the Kings... I'd love to have Love on a cheap longterm contract as the backup 4... I'd put the chances of that happening at about zero I do have a strong preference for Bigs who can defend the paint/rim... since thats not Kevin's game I wouldn't want to give up much in talent or capspace to acquire him STOMP
Nope. To be clear, I wasn't providing Rambis' quote as some support of the claim that Love doesn't deserve a lot of minutes. Just that it appears that Rambis shares Rasta's opinion.
