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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  • http://www.slamonline.com/online/category/blogs/farmer-jones/ Ryan Jones

    Unfortunate that they edited out the part where he thanked me.

  • http://www.twitter.com/hurstysyd Hursty

    Before anyone says “oh, he’s not, X, Y, Z are better”, what is he meant to say?
    “Well, I think I’m probably the 7th best PF in the League”.
    Players don’t get to the NBA unless they’ve got a supreme sense of self-confidence and belief and an innate desire to be the best. They’re intrinsically motivated.
    Highly unlikely that they’ve ever been comfortable with settling for mediocrity.

  • Dat Dude

    he is way more confident this year than he was before.

  • J.C.

    “Who’s the best ’4′ in the league: you or Blake Griffin?”
    HUH??? Since when were these guys the consensus top two PF’s in the league? Have we started listing Dirk as a Center now or something?

  • http://slamonline.com YKnot

    I wonder if Andray Blatche says that to himself too. “I’m the best power forward in the NBA. NOT!!”

  • Lz – Cphfinest3

    I don’t care what their stats say, Dirk is the best PF in the NBA by a landslide. However Love is right to think this way, agree with Hursty’s assesment.

  • rich

    idk if hes the best, its arguable. I think he is the hardest playing pf in the NBA though

  • http://www.alllooksame.com Tarzan Cooper

    No shtt he should have confidence on himself. Doesn’t change the fact that dirk. Pau, aldridge, bosh, and zbo are better than him.

  • AD

    he is supposed to say this tho… competitors do this… just like how i think im the best in 2k

  • tomtom

    It’s not even close, he is numero uno, followed my Pau then Aldridge and Blake and Bosh are kinda tied for me. And no, before you ask, there is no love for Zbo.

  • Bt

    Which clown came up with interview Question regarding him and griffin as the top 2 Pf’s in the game? Stats do lie you know (for exame Blake griffin is one of the worst defensive players in the league)

  • Zack

    If you don’t think KLove is near the top, you haven’t been watching many Wolves games…

  • AD

    @zack does he have a post game

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    what the hell else was he supposed to say?

  • RunNGun

    K-LOVE’s got to be top five at this point. My list goes Dirk, Aldridge, K-Love, Griffin, & Stat.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Like several other people, I’m shocked that the choices were Blake or Love?
    Really now?
    Crazy.

  • Wendy

    In the meanwhile, Dirk takes a deep, bored sigh and drains his 156th consecutive fade-away-on–one-toe-with-closed-eyes-jumper in the gym, all alone like always.

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

    I gotta agree with him, he’s still not the best at creating his own shot but those numbers are ridiculous for a modern player.

  • DerekG

    There are always ways to look at things. Which of the other power forwards give you 25ppg and 15rpg? Say what you will about a lack of a post game but last I checked 3 pointers beat 2 pointers 10 times out of 10 so if prefers to jack treys and is still gonna give me 15 boards I’ll take my chances with him.

  • DieselMechanic

    The way he gobbles up rebs it’s hard to argue.

  • OTB

    Having watched KL on League PAss, the man is for real. He looks slow, unathletic, and seems like he wouldn’t contribute much, but he can shoot the lights out, and has his hands on almost every ball that hits the rim.

  • http://www.slamonline.com spit hot fiyah

    co sign hursty, nothing here folks

  • http://www.huwlhopkins.com #6marjons

    he’s certainly in the top 2, its tough

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    no

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Dude’s stats are great.
    But, come on. There are two sides to the floor AND he still doesn’t have the best one-on-one game.
    Which is fine, this is only his third year. He’s on track to be awesome, but slow down people. Gaudy stats are gaudy stats.

  • http://www.optimabbc.be Max

    That’s what he’s supposed to think, even tho it aint true.

  • TC

    His rebounding numbers are very good but if I was picking a team, I’d want someone with a more developed low-post game. I’d take Aldridge, Griffin, Zach Randolph, Al Jefferson, Amare, Bosh. That’s not really a knock on Love – 25 and 15 is 25 and 15.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Dirk is no longer the best PF in the game, that title belongs to LA.

  • http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/35159/roses-sweet-game-continues-bulls-roll nbk

    Dirk, Pau, Aldridge are better players. The rest is up for debate, imo.

  • Jer dawg

    I think in context of interview the interview was comparing the best YOUNG power forward in the game, but come on. If you are going to interview the guy and he gives a few minutes of his time I think a little compliment is due.
    Wolves are competing and they look very exciting. Much more in year’s past.

  • Kilo

    Pau is the best PF in the Leauge

  • http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/35159/roses-sweet-game-continues-bulls-roll nbk

    or the guy that just led his team to a title. but whatever

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    After last season…yes but so far this season…..hells no. The man is avg. 5.2rpg and shooting 43% from the field.

  • http://slamonline.com Dagger

    Amazing how little respect Dirk gets.

  • http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/35159/roses-sweet-game-continues-bulls-roll nbk

    Yeah and he’s hurt. You’re really going to jump Lamarcus Aldridge over Dirk after 9 games? really? All those playoffs games just 5 months ago mean nothing? Let Dirk heal up and play healthy basketball before we say he’s no longer the best PF in the L. He deserves atleast that much respect.

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    Aldridge is nice, but he’s pulling down less than 8 boards a game. I know he’s playing with Marcus Camby, but he should be grabbing 10-12 rpg. No excuses. I mean he’s practically grabbing 1 rebound more per game than Andrea Bargnani–who himself is having a really good season… But… It’s still Andrea Bargnani.

  • http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/35159/roses-sweet-game-continues-bulls-roll nbk

    k

  • http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/35159/roses-sweet-game-continues-bulls-roll nbk

    and for the record, I have had Lamarcus as a top 3 PF since like April. I have no hate for the guy, I actually think he will eventually be the best in the league until he breaks down or if BG ever learns to play defense.

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

    Statistically, he’s no1 in efficiency rating at the 4 spot. Right above Blake.
    Therefore he is the best right now.
    Case closed, nothing to see her, go back to work.

  • http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/35159/roses-sweet-game-continues-bulls-roll nbk

    Efficient Rating doesn’t take Defense into account. Learn about the stat, then re-write your comment. We’ll go back to work in the mean-time.

  • http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/35159/roses-sweet-game-continues-bulls-roll nbk

    Efficiency*

  • AQWORD

    Hursty said it best + P.F.s are not designed to play D :-) LOVE is a BEAST 4 now handz down.

  • AD

    evry1 thinks dirk is the best pf.. but i think zebo and chris bosh are better than him #nohating

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

    Ok so you wish to rate a player but not taking overall statistics into consideration. Oh and yeah…I forget rebounding is not considered Defense. And if you want to have a discussion were we compare the D of Amare, Dirk and Aldridge in favor of Love than my advice for you is to not recommence work but to go take a nap.

  • http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/35159/roses-sweet-game-continues-bulls-roll nbk

    I take overall statistics into account, like this one, the Timberwolves are 16.3 Points Per 48 minutes better, WITHOUT Kevin Love. Do you know more about statistics then what ESPN puts on their website? Honestly, even John Hollinger will tell you his PER statistic isn’t a barometer for how good a player is overall, he admits it doesn’t take into account defense. And if you actually watched Kevin Love you would know that he sacrafices his own teams defense for those defensive rebounds that YOU value so much. (I don’t give a flying sh*t how many defensive rebounds ANYBODY gets. All a defensive rebound means is that the whole team. THE WHOLE TEAM. did their job. Show me offensive rebounds, opposing field goal %, +/-, any stat that actually reflects a players impact on winning and i’ll entertain your assertion that PER is definitive). Until then, you seem to be using stats you clearly don’t understand.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    I don’t have the confidence in LA that some of you do. I have watched him play and he’s very good, but think about it… He’s on the Trailblazers. The second best player on the team is??… Gerald Wallace? Raymond Felton? There is no reason if he is as good as ya’ll are saying he is that he only averages 22, and 7.5. He is a borderline top 3, but not top 3 imo. Dirk is #1 until he shows that he is not through a whole season. Pau is doing his best to not be considered a top 3 PF these days. He’s playing fine, but he has no tenacity and is just living off his skills right now. Defensively Love and LA both average less than 1 block and 1 steal. Love rebounds literally twice as much as LA and scores 3 more points a game with out a 1 on 1 game ya’ll are talking about. For my money i’m going with K-Love as the third best PF right now. It’s a very competitive position currently. No one is clearly better right now imo.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Fair enough but Kobe’s also hurt yet he’s shooting better from the field and grabbing more rebounds than Dirk. So…….

  • http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/35159/roses-sweet-game-continues-bulls-roll nbk

    So? it’s 9 games. of all the people to overreact after 9 games, you’re going to wave the flag. I mean, remember the first 9 games for Miami last season? You were right there with me tellin people to hold up on their conclusions, what has changed?

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    I ain’t mad at ya for admitting that Dirk sucks so far Taylor. We are all giving him the benefit of the doubt for now though. He has proved he was by far the best PF last year so were assuming he will be back to form before to long.

  • JD

    Dirk was the best – he is no longer.

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