Remember when people said Kevin Love > Blake Griffin, LMA?

[Dresta]

or maybe it's because they're starting PG can't shoot enough to warrent even defending him, their corner-3 threat (brewer) shot 28% on 211 attempts this season! Minny is a ridiculously flawed team, and Love should be getting props for getting them this close to a playoff spot in the west.


If you don't understand Love's impact you just haven't watched any games idk what to tell you.

The guy just isn't a viable no. 1 option if you want your team to be successful. Deal with it. If he actually had a postgame and didn't just launch 3's/get putbacks (here his poor shooting team actually boost his stats), and played defense, then Minny would be challenging for the playoffs at the very least.

[Threethrows]

Minny lost a ton of close games and OT games, mostly because their bench blew it. Love can't play every minute, and I don't understand how you can hold that against him.

Minny collapses in the 4th quarter. They were in so many close games because they get worse as the game goes on. Terrible all around, it's not just a matter of unlucky bounces at the end but the entire 2nd half basically.

Kevin Love needs to stop playing for stats and learn how to pace himself early on, and Minny needs to get rid of Rubio ASAP. The guy is a complete liability as a scorer. Assists are nice and all but can be overrated in certain cases when you take a look at what's actually happening, like here. Rubio CAN'T score, he has to pass. Who really cares if Rubio gets 10 assists if he shoots 1-10 with 4 turnovers every other night?

Love doesn't defend, and Rubio sure seems to get lit up a lot for such a good defender. All we hear every year is about how the Wolves will make the playoffs this year, yet they never do. Don't blame it on lack of talent. Look at Phoenix, that team was thought to be a bottom feeder yet they played unselfish and with tons of energy every night and looked better than any Kevin Love team ever has, nearly making the playoffs. Look at Portland, what kind of bench do they have again?

[qrich]

Very impactful for the ceiling to be 40 victories thus far in your career.

[BlackVVaves]

Minny collapses in the 4th quarter. They were in so many close games because they get worse as the game goes on. Terrible all around, it's not just a matter of unlucky bounces at the end but the entire 2nd half basically.

Kevin Love needs to stop playing for stats and learn how to pace himself early on, and Minny needs to get rid of Rubio ASAP. The guy is a complete liability as a scorer. Assists are nice and all but can be overrated in certain cases when you take a look at what's actually happening, like here. Rubio CAN'T score, he has to pass. Who really cares if Rubio gets 10 assists if he shoots 1-10 with 4 turnovers every other night?

Love doesn't defend, and Rubio sure seems to get lit up a lot for such a good defender. All we hear every year is about how the Wolves will make the playoffs this year, yet they never do. Don't blame it on lack of talent. Look at Phoenix, that team was thought to be a bottom feeder yet they played unselfish and with tons of energy every night and looked better than any Kevin Love team ever has, nearly making the playoffs. Look at Portland, what kind of bench do they have again?

Portland's bench is literally one of the worst in recent NBA history. Last in scoring this year, and if I'm not mistaken last in scoring last year.

[oarabbus]

Portland's bench is literally one of the worst in recent NBA history. Last in scoring this year, and if I'm not mistaken last in scoring last year.

I think last year's Portland bench was literally one of the worst of all time.

[DMAVS41]

Portland's bench is literally one of the worst in recent NBA history. Last in scoring this year, and if I'm not mistaken last in scoring last year.

Yea, but that means far less in the playoffs...and also...it's always about lineup configurations without the stars...let's take a look;

Minny;

With Love +5.6
Without Love -5.4

Clippers;

With Griffin +9.4
Without Griffin +1

Blazers;

With LMA +7.1
Without LMA -1.7


It's pretty clear Love plays with the worst team of that group and has a roster that can't come up with roster configurations to be remotely competent with him off the court.

Part of that is on Adelman and the other part is simply a flawed team that is heavily reliant on Love to do anything.

This is why comparing players without seeing them play in the playoffs is just so stupid in my opinion. How guys do in certain situations and circumstances really matter. It matters that Blake Griffin was able to shake off a bad game 1 and dominate the next two. It matters that LMA went off and exploited single coverage the way he did.

Those things are products of how good at basketball they are. I know that is an off topic tangent, but this is why I argue with everyone about declaring you know enough about a player seeing him in the regular season. You simply don't.

We don't know what kind of guy Love would be in the playoffs. But, by default, he has to be thought of as less than those guys...just not sure it's fair or accurate because we don't have enough information.

Love deserves blame for his teams' late game issues, but the truth is that his team was worse than we all thought. Perhaps Adelman really just lost them this year...who knows.

[oarabbus]

^ I saw the avatar and was dumbfounded for a minute as to how the **** Silkk posted such an eloquent response

[BlackVVaves]

Yea, but that means far less in the playoffs...and also...it's always about lineup configurations without the stars...let's take a look;

Minny;

With Love +5.6
Without Love -5.4

Clippers;

With Griffin +9.4
Without Griffin +1

Blazers;

With LMA +7.1
Without LMA -1.7


It's pretty clear Love plays with the worst team of that group and has a roster that can't come up with roster configurations to be remotely competent with him off the court.

Part of that is on Adelman and the other part is simply a flawed team that is heavily reliant on Love to do anything.

This is why comparing players without seeing them play in the playoffs is just so stupid in my opinion. How guys do in certain situations and circumstances really matter. It matters that Blake Griffin was able to shake off a bad game 1 and dominate the next two. It matters that LMA went off and exploited single coverage the way he did.

Those things are products of how good at basketball they are. I know that is an off topic tangent, but this is why I argue with everyone about declaring you know enough about a player seeing him in the regular season. You simply don't.

We don't know what kind of guy Love would be in the playoffs. But, by default, he has to be thought of as less than those guys...just not sure it's fair or accurate because we don't have enough information.

Love deserves blame for his teams' late game issues, but the truth is that his team was worse than we all thought. Perhaps Adelman really just lost them this year...who knows.

Where were you last night man? Was looking for you when I referenced the certain posters that felt the regular season was enough to proclaim "This year KD > any version of Kobe" despite our insistence that the playoffs DO account for something

[LoneyROY7]

Yea, but that means far less in the playoffs...and also...it's always about lineup configurations without the stars...let's take a look;

Minny;

With Love +5.6
Without Love -5.4

Clippers;

With Griffin +9.4
Without Griffin +1

Blazers;

With LMA +7.1
Without LMA -1.7


It's pretty clear Love plays with the worst team of that group and has a roster that can't come up with roster configurations to be remotely competent with him off the court.

Part of that is on Adelman and the other part is simply a flawed team that is heavily reliant on Love to do anything.

This is why comparing players without seeing them play in the playoffs is just so stupid in my opinion. How guys do in certain situations and circumstances really matter. It matters that Blake Griffin was able to shake off a bad game 1 and dominate the next two. It matters that LMA went off and exploited single coverage the way he did.

Those things are products of how good at basketball they are. I know that is an off topic tangent, but this is why I argue with everyone about declaring you know enough about a player seeing him in the regular season. You simply don't.

We don't know what kind of guy Love would be in the playoffs. But, by default, he has to be thought of as less than those guys...just not sure it's fair or accurate because we don't have enough information.

Love deserves blame for his teams' late game issues, but the truth is that his team was worse than we all thought. Perhaps Adelman really just lost them this year...who knows.

Thought Silk was dropping mad knowledge for a second.

[DMAVS41]

Where were you last night man? Was looking for you when I referenced the certain posters that felt the regular season was enough to proclaim "This year KD > any version of Kobe" despite our insistence that the playoffs DO account for something

I missed that...sorry.

Yea, this is exactly why. You can't just say "yea, I knew that would happen" like some posters we won't name...always say.

You knew LMA would do this? You knew Harden would do this?

Of course things can change, but if a guy like Harden, for example, plays the whole series like he has so far...if that doesn't change, at least on some level, what kind of player you have him as...I give up.

[BlackVVaves]

I missed that...sorry.

Yea, this is exactly why. You can't just say "yea, I knew that would happen" like some posters we won't name...always say.

You knew LMA would do this? You knew Harden would do this?

Of course things can change, but if a guy like Harden, for example, plays the whole series like he has so far...if that doesn't change, at least on some level, what kind of player you have him as...I give up.

I feel you brah. Idk either lol

[LoneyROY7]

Switch LMA or BG for Anthony Davis and those teams are probably better too.

No. I love Davis' game and he has a limitless ceiling, but he's not the consistent offensive force that Griffin and Aldridge are yet.

Both LAC and Portland rely on BG and LMA as their go-to guy every game.

[ralph_i_el]

Yea, but that means far less in the playoffs...and also...it's always about lineup configurations without the stars...let's take a look;

Minny;

With Love +5.6
Without Love -5.4

Clippers;

With Griffin +9.4
Without Griffin +1

Blazers;

With LMA +7.1
Without LMA -1.7


It's pretty clear Love plays with the worst team of that group and has a roster that can't come up with roster configurations to be remotely competent with him off the court.

Part of that is on Adelman and the other part is simply a flawed team that is heavily reliant on Love to do anything.

This is why comparing players without seeing them play in the playoffs is just so stupid in my opinion. How guys do in certain situations and circumstances really matter. It matters that Blake Griffin was able to shake off a bad game 1 and dominate the next two. It matters that LMA went off and exploited single coverage the way he did.

Those things are products of how good at basketball they are. I know that is an off topic tangent, but this is why I argue with everyone about declaring you know enough about a player seeing him in the regular season. You simply don't.

We don't know what kind of guy Love would be in the playoffs. But, by default, he has to be thought of as less than those guys...just not sure it's fair or accurate because we don't have enough information.

Love deserves blame for his teams' late game issues, but the truth is that his team was worse than we all thought. Perhaps Adelman really just lost them this year...who knows.

Great post.

And if you think Love isn't a number 1 option, you're right. He would operate so much better as a #2, but that doesn't take anything away from his value or impact. It would be great to see Love with someone who can handle AND score. Rubio can handle, Kmart can shot. Both suck visa versa

[Marlo_Stanfield]

i

[rogmatic]

LMA went beast mode for a stretch earlier this season and then faded. In theory he has a big advantage over Love and BG because of his length but I would still put him 3rd on that list. Extremely impressed with what he has done these last two games though.