No Love Lost

In 2008 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzles selected Kevin Love with the number five overall pick. He was then traded to Minnesota for some other garbage players.

It started in UCLA, but after the draft the hype machine really took off because he couldn’t jump particularly high, threw outlet passes and because he could throw a ball the entire length of the court and make a basket. Six years later and we all now know that doesn’t translate into wins or even making the playoffs.

In what some people will call six statistically marvelous years in the NBA, I say he put up some good numbers on an awful team. I get all the “Pro Love” arguments, topping the list will be the “30 rebound game” argument. Which sounds great, but it came against the Knicks, which we all at the time were the only team probably as bad at the T’Wolves were at the time. Here is the box score from ESPN to show how bad the Knicks roster was.

Love also didn’t realize that in the NBA you have to play defense, and after six years he still doesn’t know what playing defense is. Instead plyometric training and learning how to swat things, he decided to shoot a better 3 ball. He is what I call a Poor man’s Chris Bosh.

That’s not an insult, I think it’s a great complement, Bosh is a max contract guy now. First Bosh has taken a pretty bad team to the playoffs (hello T-Dot) where as Love, not so much. Bosh has leaded a team to a winning record, while Love still waiting for that elusive winning record. Bosh plays defense, and is able to hold his ground in the low post. Love is a human sieve. Bosh has a good midrange game and has developed the 3 point shot, but I’ll give Love this one as he has shown that he is a pretty good scorer.

It’s time for, what I feel is, the most important thing that a NBA player can do. WIN!

Here are how many wins Love has had in his six seasons 24, 15, 17, 26, 31, and 40 wins. That is a total of 31% win total. In Love’s fifth year they almost won more games with him injured (31) than they did the previous two years combined (32).

BronNLove-Steve-Mitchell-USA-TODAY-Sports

If this was LeBron we would have sent him to the D-League, with this winning percentage numbers, but it’s not. Instead the hype machine continues to follow Love like he’s the top player in the league at his position, but I know one thing great players do, take their teams to the playoffs. Ask Kevin Garnett he carried some pretty crappy Minnesota teams to the playoffs.

So when Love finally decides to go to the Cavs and play with a guy who would rather live in Cleveland than Miami, or any other team in the NBA, let’s remember, K-Love is there for a ride. He is finding an excuse for anyway to make the playoffs because he can’t put on his big boy pants on and carry a team there on his own.

In case you missed it, here are K-Love’s playoff career stats 0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0.

 

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