How good is Kevin Love?

[elindholm]

Where does Kevin Love rank as an NBA player right now?

 

[AzStevenCal]

I wish there was an "I don't know" option because I really don't know. How do you judge a dominant player on a bad team? How much of their failure is on his shoulders? How relevant are his eye-popping stats? I just don't know. I really feel like I could put my heart into supporting any of the first three choices. IMO, he's definitely not one of the top two players and there definitely aren't twenty players better than him but I really don't know where he falls in between third and nineteenth. I settled for 6-10.

Steve

 

[HooverDam]

Voted 6-10 just to be conservative and docking him a bit for the lack of his teams success, though I put most of that on their awful management.

The only guys in the league that you can say with zero reservation are better are Durant and LeBron. Everyone else, an argument could be made. So he's certainly up there. He's clearly the #1 player at his position right now (assuming we're calling LeBron a SF not a PF).

 

[Bert]

I think if Kevin love was on a team that had one more superstar, he would be a superstar himself. He's not a guy that can single handedly carry a team but are there really any of those guys in the NBA right now other than maybe Lebron who it could be argued did it in cleveland.

Guys who average 12.5 rebounds and 26 points per game dont grow on trees. The guy is a stud. Unquestionably top 10. Cant blame Minnesota's legacy of ineptitude on him.

 

[sunsfan88]

I think Chris Bosh in Toronto was a superior player to Kevin Love in Minnesota even though stat wise, I'm sure Love beats him but wins wise...

Right now I'd say he's top 10.

LeBron, Durant, Parker, CP3, Dwight, Harden, Griffin, Curry, Noah and then Love tied for 10th with fellow UCLA Bruin Westbrook.

Even though you could make a valid case for LMA, M. Gasol, and Wade to be on there as well...

 

[Cheesebeef]

I think Chris Bosh in Toronto was a superior player to Kevin Love in Minnesota even though stat wise, I'm sure Love beats him but wins wise...

Right now I'd say he's top 10.

LeBron, Durant, Parker, CP3, Dwight, Harden, Griffin, Curry, Noah and then Love tied for 10th with fellow UCLA Bruin Westbrook.

Even though you could make a valid case for LMA, M. Gasol, and Wade to be on there as well...

I'd put LMA and even Melo above him and DEFINITELY Westbrook. People forget that this is the first time in Melo's entire career that he hasn't been to the playoffs...and that a majority of that was while being the best player on the Nuggets in a much more competitive Western Conference. Thus, my vote for 11-20.

wouldn't put Wade up there anymore. He's just not consistent enough or healthy enough anymore to be in that stratosphere.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'd put LMA and even Melo above him and DEFINITELY Westbrook. People forget that this is the first time in Melo's entire career that he hasn't been to the playoffs...and that a majority of that was while being the best player on the Nuggets in a much more competitive Western Conference. Thus, my vote for 11-20.

wouldn't put Wade up there anymore. He's just not consistent enough or healthy enough anymore to be in that stratosphere.

I wouldn't put Wade up there but I wouldn't put Harden up there either. I'm not sure about Melo. He was on a very talented Nuggets team, Western conference or not, and they never lived up to their potential. I agree on Westbrook but I'm not convinced on LMA. There's no way to prove it but I really doubt the Wolves would have been as good if Love and Aldridge had been switched these past few years.

Steve

 

[Cheesebeef]

I wouldn't put Wade up there but I wouldn't put Harden up there either. I'm not sure about Melo. He was on a very talented Nuggets team, Western conference or not, and they never lived up to their potential. I agree on Westbrook but I'm not convinced on LMA. There's no way to prove it but I really doubt the Wolves would have been as good if Love and Aldridge had been switched these past few years.

Steve

Harden singlehandedly got the Rockets to the playoffs last season with an extremely average supporting cast that Love would have likely led straight to the 11th seed like he always has.

And you may be right about LMA. Id probably say they're about equal but it could be argued either way. Melo we'll just agree to disagree.

 

[elindholm]

I agree that Wade is nowhere near a top-10 player anymore. I'm not even sure I'd put him ahead of Bosh.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Harden singlehandedly got the Rockets to the playoffs last season with an extremely average supporting cast that Love would have likely led straight to the 11th seed like he always has.

And you may be right about LMA. Id probably say they're about equal but it could be argued either way. Melo we'll just agree to disagree.

I think Dragic would have singlehandedly taken our 2013 team to the playoffs the year before too. The West was a bit softer in the 2012-2013 season. There's also the obvious difference between being the primary ball handler and being dependent on teammates giving you the ball.

I think Harden could lead an average team to playoff contention almost every season (something Love probably can't do) but I don't know if he can lead a good team any further. I really have grown to dislike him as the focal point of a team. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Rockets test the trade waters in the next year or two. I just don't think he can be the man on a great team. I probably feel the same about Love but I think he can be a star on a great team whereas Harden's best role is super-sub, or maybe 3rd banana. JMO.

Steve

 

[sunsfan88]

I think Dragic would have singlehandedly taken our 2013 team to the playoffs the year before too. The West was a bit softer in the 2012-2013 season. There's also the obvious difference between being the primary ball handler and being dependent on teammates giving you the ball.

I think Harden could lead an average team to playoff contention almost every season (something Love probably can't do) but I don't know if he can lead a good team any further. I really have grown to dislike him as the focal point of a team. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Rockets test the trade waters in the next year or two. I just don't think he can be the man on a great team. I probably feel the same about Love but I think he can be a star on a great team whereas Harden's best role is super-sub, or maybe 3rd banana. JMO.

Steve

Wait, I don't get it...then why didn't he?

 

[AzStevenCal]

Wait, I don't get it...then why didn't he?

Follow the bouncing ball. Our team, this past season, led by Dragic, would have been good enough to make the playoffs if it were playing against the competition of the previous year. The point being, the West was tougher in 2013 than it was in 2012.

Steve

 

[Cheesebeef]

Follow the bouncing ball. Our team, this past season, led by Dragic, would have been good enough to make the playoffs if it were playing against the competition of the previous year. The point being, the West was tougher in 2013 than it was in 2012.

Steve

our team with Dragic (sans Bledsoe) was just below .500 this year. The Rockets last year won 45 games, in a West that while not AS tough, was still very good.

I don't see it. And I think Harden had less to work with on that Rockets team last year.

 

[AzStevenCal]

our team with Dragic (sans Bledsoe) was just below .500 this year. The Rockets last year won 45 games, in a West that while not AS tough, was still very good.

I don't see it. And I think Harden had less to work with on that Rockets team last year.

Really? Chandler Parsons is the best small forward in the game. I heard him say so. Seriously though, they did have some talent. And to hear people tell it, Asik would be a superstar on our team.

It's all fantasy so one position stands as well as another. I'm just not as enamored of Harden as many are. I've seen him disappear in big moments far too often. He's an incredible individual talent in much the same way Iverson was but I wouldn't want to build my team around him.

Steve

 

[Cheesebeef]

Really? Chandler Parsons is the best small forward in the game. I heard him say so. Seriously though, they did have some talent. And to hear people tell it, Asik would be a superstar on our team.

It's all fantasy so one position stands as well as another. I'm just not as enamored of Harden as many are. I've seen him disappear in big moments far too often. He's an incredible individual talent in much the same way Iverson was but I wouldn't want to build my team around him.

Steve

I actually wouldn't want to build my team around him either. I think he's a sensational #2 guy, but I think Love is a decent #2 guy. Still, he's better then so many other guys and he's still pretty young.

 

[Dan H]

He's got Barkley-esque stats, but I don't know how well that translates to being a top whatever player. Is he a player you have to double team with the ball in his hand? I'd say so. Him on the low-block with three perimeter shooters and Plumlee would be pretty solid IMO.

Pipe dream - Plumlee, Love, McDermott, Bledsoe, Dragic.

 

[AzStevenCal]

He's got Barkley-esque stats, but I don't know how well that translates to being a top whatever player. Is he a player you have to double team with the ball in his hand? I'd say so. Him on the low-block with three perimeter shooters and Plumlee would be pretty solid IMO.

Pipe dream - Plumlee, Love, McDermott, Bledsoe, Dragic.

We'd win a few games in the 140's but I could live with that. At least the complaining about rebounding would go away.

Steve

 

[Phrazbit]

Yeah, if we got Love I think we'd want to be looking at a slashing wing more than another shooter.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Yeah, if we got Love I think we'd want to be looking at a slashing wing more than another shooter.

Some people are going to think I'm nuts but if McDermott can adjust to the NBA, a slashing wing might well be his future. Please note that I did say "if".

I see more than a little of Dan Majerle in him, before Dan's back problems forced him to change his game. I doubt that he'll be able to grow into the defender that Dan became but they have a lot of similarities in their skillets and some of the same pre-NBA question marks.

Steve

 

[Bert]

Harden singlehandedly got the Rockets to the playoffs last season with an extremely average supporting cast that Love would have likely led straight to the 11th seed like he always has.

And you may be right about LMA. Id probably say they're about equal but it could be argued either way. Melo we'll just agree to disagree.

Speaking of the Rockets could you imagine Harden Howard Love? yikes.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Speaking of the Rockets could you imagine Harden Howard Love? yikes.

If they ever allow teams to use multiple basketballs at the same time that would be quite a trio. With one basketball, I'm not so worried.

Steve

 

[Bert]

If they ever allow teams to use multiple basketballs at the same time that would be quite a trio. With one basketball, I'm not so worried.

Steve

lol

 

[JCSunsfan]

Yeah, if we got Love I think we'd want to be looking at a slashing wing more than another shooter.

Yes. A Shawn Marion type.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Considering he'll probably be the best player we have access to in a long time, we really should do what it takes to get him. 6-10

 

[sunsfan88]

If they ever allow teams to use multiple basketballs at the same time that would be quite a trio. With one basketball, I'm not so worried.

Steve

You could say the same thing about Dragic, Bledsoe, and Love.

And I'm sure plenty of people said the same thing about LeBron, Wade and Bosh especially since neither LeBron nor Wade are that good of shooters to play off the ball.