by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni
In the T-Wolves’ season opening loss, Kurt Rambis made the curious decision to sit Kevin Love for a large (and very crucial) chunk of the fourth quarter.
Rambis felt that he had a better chance to win with Anthony Tolliver on the floor instead (despite Love’s double-double in limited minutes.)
After the game, Love was frustrated and did not speak to the media. Naturally, bloggers jumped all over the story, and at practice yesterday, Kevin and his coach were forced to address the issue.
They both say that everything is cool. From the Star Tribune:
Before Timberwolves practice, Kurt Rambis and Kevin Love talked. After practice, they worked together, the coach feeding Love as he shot jump shots. “That wasn’t just for show,” Love said. Was Love frustrated that he sat on the bench for the final eight minutes of Wednesday’s season-opening 117-116 loss to Sacramento? Yes. But was it the inaugural evening of another year of the two butting heads? Both said no Thursday.
First, Rambis: “We had a conversation this morning, yes. Kevin completely understood the decision and he was 100 percent behind it. Having said that, every single player wants to be on the floor all the time. I want players like that.” Then, Love: “I understood. I thought, after last year, I handled it like a man. And in that situation, Anthony [Tolliver] stepped up and played great down the stretch. I think, defensively, throughout the whole game, we had lapses. We got away from what we did in the preseason. In that situation Anthony was playing great. You have to give credit to him.”
Though for the most part, he says all of the politically correct things, Kevin Love occasionally lets it slip that he’s not quite sure what the hell the Timberwolves are doing (see: this summer, and the ongoing David Kahn fiasco.)
It’ll be interesting to see just how much longer he’s willing to toe the company line in Minnesota.
