Monday, January 9th, 2012 at 9:30 am  |  128 responses

Kevin Love Believes He’s the NBA’s Best Power Forward


Kevin Love is putting up monster numbers yet again (25.4 points, 15 rebounds a night), and tells ESPN Radio that he’s the League’s best power forward: “How much better of a player are you now compared to two years ago? ‘I’m a much better player. Not only what I do physically, but my mind as well. My mind has grown. My game is a lot further along than it was in the past. I do feel like I’m a lot better and more active on the court.’ Is there anyone in particular that gets the bulk of the credit? Your trainer, Rob McClanaghan, in L.A.? Someone here? ‘It’s an influx of people that get a lot of credit. I feel like I’m still the one that has to go out and do the work. But I give a lot of credit to the people working with me. Greatness surrounds itself with greatness. With Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose, at times Joakim Noah and Al Horford, to be around those guys in the summer has really improved my game. I’m hoping I help improve them as well.’ Who’s the best ’4′ in the league: you or Blake Griffin? ‘I believe I’m the best ’4′ in the league. I think you have to believe that you’re the best. I think Mohammad Ali even said, ‘I was the greatest before I knew I was.’ I think everybody needs to have that mindset. That’s part of winning the mind game from the very start. You have to believe it. You have to hold yourself accountable.’ When you wake up on the morning of Jan. 26, will you have a long-term contract in hand? ‘I don’t know. I don’t know the answer to that at this point. It’s all in my agent’s hands (Jeff Schwartz). People can speculate and say what they want, but I will just go out there, play basketball, and help this team win.’ [...] If they present you with the maximum, do you sign it? ‘It’s all in my agent’s hands. I just don’t know what I am going to do. I’m happy to be a Timberwolf at this point and happy we’re winning games.’”

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  • T-Money

    for real, even though they are the two most criticized all-stars in the league, give me pau gasol and chris bosh over any power forward right now. they can do it all, from the inside and the perimeter, on both ends. these guys play exceptional team defense.

  • T-Money

    stats don’t matter as much for these two guys because bosh gave ya’ll 24-12 and nobody cared

  • http://slamonline slams chuck barkley

    I look at it Like dis..yea LOve ave 25ppg and 15rpg but hour is on a bad team. If dirk or pau had these stats they would be winnin chips every year n be considered the best player in the leauge not jus his position..

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Andrea Bargnani dropped 31/9 on KLove.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Lol

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    And lol at that last fact.

  • Myles Brown

    Y’all just be in here making sh*t up, huh?

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    No we are making sh*t over. There’s a slight difference.

  • http://slamonline.com datkid

    cosign t-money

  • RedRum

    you cannot be the top PF in the league if you do not play D. And neither Blake or KL play any. How can PFs who have seen Duncan play do not invest more into D is really a mystery to me…

  • Chukaz

    I hope this dude is not buying into his own hype. Its okay to be confident and believe in yourself but you gotta be realistic. Vince Carter and AI bought into their own hype, and where are they now? Kobe was the best player in the league since ’01 and he’s works so hard you’d think he’s fighting for the last roster spot with an nonguaranteed contract. He should make a list of PF that are better than him so he’ll realized he’s got a way to go. I’ll save him some time. In no particular order: Blake, Pau, Z-Bo, Dirk, Bosh, Aldrich, Amare, You’re the 8th best player at your position. And i’d say that over the course of a 7 game series i’d take Duncan over him as well. Work on creating your own shot. When was the last time a team built a winner around a guy who count get his own points? The answer to that riddle is… idk but it hasn’t happened since 1980

  • Kim

    It’s fine to have confidence in yourself, but to say that you’re the best is pushing it since there are so many others out there that are as good as you are or better. I like humble people, and he surely isn’t coming across as that. People are blowing his head up too much with the praise. I like LA’s game anyhow.

  • http://www,slamonline.com Slick Ric

    ^huh? kobe wasnt even the best player on his own team in 01, let alone the league, that would be shaq and duncan by a landslide, and back then I would of even put Iverson ahead of kobe.

  • shutup

    wow late as hell, but here goes. even though rodman played exceptional one on one defense he also protected the rim by taking charges, especially in chicago, anyone wanna look up the stats for offensive fouls taken? As for the best pf in the game argument, he doesnt make his team better, he’s a sheet filler thats it, this isnt fantasy league basketball, his scoring and rebounding should lead to wins, but they don’t. If you put him on a better team his numbers go down drastically, the Wolves suck and have for awhile despite his sigh* amazing numbers.

  • Justin G.

    Amazing how Bosh gets so disrespected here. Bosh is top 3, maybe top 4 at the least. Dirk isn’t playing like we know he can but give it time. I believe he also played in the World’s after a long championship run as well and he hasn’t fully healed. Hard for Gasol to get his numbers all the time with Kobe jacking up as many as he is these days. Amare kills his team more than he helps imo.
    Like RedRum said, you can’t be a top PF in the league with no D. Bargnani putting 31 on him is no surprise as he’s having a really good year but Amir Johnson holding him to 13 points on 3 of 16 shooting is telling. Yeah, it could be just a one night thing but still…
    And the whole comparing Rodman and Love on defense is laughable to say the least. nbk is right with pretty much everything he said in regards to this ridiculous argument. Rodman guarded 4 positions when he had to, all incredibly well and he still got his rebounds. Antics aside, he was amazing

  • http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=pawtucketymca Gametimeweezy

    Hold up don’t get it twisted after one game. I don’t care if Bargnani dropped 50 on him Kevin Love is a top PF in the NBA.

  • Mike From Spain

    Kevin Love leads the league at offensive rebounds, with 5.2 a game this season, 4.5 last season. He could halve his defensive rebounds to play better D and still average a double double. He is shooting 41% from three, which is nothing short of elite. He has created his shoot a bit more with these stepback threes. And if you have a PG like Rubio, creating your shot is a little bit less of an urgent issue. He’s more athletic now that he’s lost a lot of weight. Dude is 23! I believe thathe has the potential to be the top PF in the league.

  • gravy

    wtf

  • Justin G.

    Gametimeweezy, that’s why I said “it could just be one game”. Yes, he’s A top forward in the NBA but not THE top forward. He’s probably 4th or 5th overall but that’s not exactly a negative thing either. Considering his age right now, barring injury he obviously has the time to be the best very soon

  • Vince5

    Amir Johnson shut him down. He’s top 5, but he’s not the best in the L.

  • MARTY

    I agree & the best thing he can do is NOT sign a long term deal with the T Wolves & demand a trade home to the Lake Show where he can become a real super star & bring the Lakers back over the Clips who have Griff.

    Love can never be the real star he has the ability to be if he stays where he is. If he signs a new deal many things can happen including an injury that would leave him a so so player in the freezing cold. Come to L.A. & become the “Great White Hope” of the Lake Show since he is head & shoulders above Gasol….

    The Lakers would take him & Bestly :) & send them Gasol & World in return, sounds great to me….

  • http://www.rich-imaging.com Dutch Rich

    The notion that individual talent somehow automatically equates group-success, as some of you are implying, is in my opinion incredibly naive.
    Nobody is suggesting that Kevin Love is a possible MVP candidate here. But in the larger scheme of things comparisons are made with the use of barometers, whether PER, EFF, category stats you name it. Last year that boy put up monster numbers and he seems to continue to do so this season.
    I’m not sure if I’d give up the starting 4 spot at the ASG to him over Pau or Dirk because they’ve produced a massive body of work already. But in the large scheme of things, pointing out missed close-outs, defensive assignments, fictional variables, team destroying selfish conspiracy acts and other self justifying contradictions will do little to discredit the historical hard facts which are served to draw comparison to his peers. Now and forever. And according to these everlasting facts he is the best right now.

    btw the starting PF @ ASG should belong to Blake if he wants it.

  • Lakers4Ever

    And what happened to Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol? Smh -_-

  • shutup

    I dont see how expecting a top tier player to have a positive impact on his team can be naive. Dominique made the Hawks credible, Tim Duncan made the Spurs Championship contenders, Gasol put LA over the top, The celtics struggled when KG got injured. Basketball is a team game, the notion that numbers equate greatness is a fallacy. All you have to do is give Love the eye test, when you watch him play does he give you the feel that he’s great? I dont see it, like I say numbers are numbers but his numbers arent impacting the outcome of games and his stat sheets look great but that doesnt make him a great player.

  • monkeyball

    Griffin also puts up great numbers and doesn’t necessarily affect the outcome of games. Right now the L is low on quality PFs. Dirk is probably still #1. Griffin or Love are 2nd and 3rd, then Pau or Amare. Who else is there?

  • monkeyball

    I’ll take any of those five guys over Bosh any day.

  • clydesays

    To me the truly great players have the ability to make their team better. Love is definitely talented & improving every year, but lets see some assists, blocks and some WINS. If he carries that team to a winning (or even .500) record, that will be a real accomplishment…

  • Tyree

    its funny how fast everybody is forgetting what Dirk did in the playoffs and finals last year. There is no way he is not the best!!

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