Thursday, September 20th, 2012 at 2:20 pm  |  81 responses

Kevin Love Would Be Surprised if Timberwolves Miss the Playoffs


Kevin Love applied considerable pressure on the Minnesota Timberwolves’ front-office to improve the roster over the summer, citing his impatience with the team’s development. Love must be pleased with the direction of the franchise, given that he expects the T-Wolves to qualify for the postseason this year. From the Portland Tribune: “Entering his fifth season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Love hasn’t had a sniff of the postseason. Minnesota, in fact, has finished fifth and last in the Northwest Division in each of his four seasons. That could change in 2012-13 as the Timberwolves have beefed up a roster that has their Western Conference competition on notice. ‘It will be a big surprise to me if we didn’t make a huge leap this year and make it to the playoffs,’ the Lake Oswego native said. With Hall of Fame-to-be coach Rick Adelman and rookie phenom Ricky Rubio at point guard,the Timberwolves nearly made it there a year ago. They were 21-19, but a game later, Rubio was lost for the season with an ACL knee injury. Thus began a progression of injuries that saw the Wolves without their top five scorers — including Love — at one point. They went into free-fall, losing 13 of their last 14 games to finish 26-40. That’s all in the rear-view mirror now. During the offseason, General Manager David Kahn bolstered a returning nucleus of Love, Rubio, Nikola Pekovic, J.J. Barea, Luke Ridnour, Wesley Johnson and Derrick Williams by signing free agents Brandon Roy, Andrei Kirilenko, Greg Stiemsma and Russian guard Alexey Shved and trading a first-round pick for Chase Budinger. ‘We’re going to have a chance to be very good,’ Love said. ‘We’re hoping Brandon can stay healthy through 82 games. Kirilenko is a big addition. Shved hopefully is going to be a big deal for us. We’ll have more firepower in terms of veterans. Brandon and Andrei will help our locker room and on the court. It will make Coach Adelman’s job a lot easier. If everything is put together, if Ricky comes back healthy, we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with.’”

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  • LakeShow

    Source?

  • LakeShow

    I concur. He seems a lil cocky, but for me a lil cocky isn’t too bad for the best rebounder in the game.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    A hoe move? Play with an aging Dirk Nowitzki and no one else given that the Mavs didn’t have the money to add more good players or play in Brooklyn in a new arena with Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace and a better than average center in Brook Lopez? And a solid PF in Kris Humphries. MarShon Brooks. A very talented team. More talented than the Mavs. That’s not a “hoe move”. That’s a smart move.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Okay, so let’s take Patrick Ewing and Gary Payton since you want to use them as examples (bad examples as I’ll show you). Gary Payton got to the Finals. Patrick Ewing did as well and when he didn’t, the Knicks were still a team that played well in the playoffs and challenged Jordan and Reggie Miller multiple times. Those were good teams. You didn’t hear anything about those guys wanting to leave because they were on good teams. As for your earlier example with Michael Jordan, he played with Scottie Pippen. Had Scottie not improved as rapidly as he did and become a top 50 player, Jordan would most likely not have just stayed in Chicago while he watched his peers playing in the playoffs every season. So no, none of those guys just made it work. They eventually had good players playing with them. They were just great players on not that great teams before that. Most players just want the best chance to win. I’m glad that LeBron created this current model of doing what you are within your right and power to do in order to put yourself in the best possible situation to win. So if a player today is on a bad team and management never gets good enough players to play with them, they are well in their right to leave. And it takes a pretty foolish person to have a problem with them doing so. Also, fans matter…but mostly to the franchise (owners), not to the players. The players would be stupid to consider how the fans will feel when they’re making decisions about their careers. As for you and your money, no one makes you spend money. If you’re a fan of a bad team, no one makes you go to the games. You can stay home and watch. That way, if you don’t like how they play or they’re a bad team, just change the channel. Simple.

  • pposse

    if i dont watch, then it hurts those players pockets. Has it ever occurred to you that Michael Jordan MADE Scottie Pippen into the player he is? Or that Patrick Ewing MADE some of the guys who was working witH? Lebron is a shining example of this..when the hell was Mo Williams ever as good as he was other than when he was playing next to Lebron? NEVER. He sucks now, he comes off the bench, and this is just one example. That whole Cav’s team he played with are garbage, yet bc of one man they made it to the finals and eastern conference finals..winning 60 game season in and season out. They competed bc of one guy. Sure Lebron put himself in a better position to win multiple championships, but don’t act like it could not have been done in Cleveland ever…when he was on the cusp multiple times over there by himself. Like i said, you in favor of all these super teams is bad for the business that is the NBA. The fans are the only reason these NBA players have careers, so there should be some thought in an NBA players decision that regards the fans. The only way Kevin Love retains fans if he leaves Minnesota is if he goes to a bigger market. If he goes to a Memphis Grizzlies team, he might actually win there, but he won’t be selling his merchandise anywhere near the level he is selling now in Minnesota.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    You not watching doesn’t hurt players pockets. You’re majorly misinformed. It’s not like LeBron got fined every time a fan burned his jersey. Once they sign their contracts, barring any act that conflicts with the agreement in the contract, that money is guaranteed. Jordan made Scottie better but Scottie made himself a lot better on his own. Mo Williams was an All-Star because he had the skillset needed to play with LeBron. LeBron played a part but Mo had to hit those shots once he received the passes. Mo is in Utah starting now. And when he was in LAC this past season, he was an important part of their bench. So no, he doesn’t suck now. LeBron could not have won in Cleveland because his teammates didn’t step up in the playoffs. They were a great regular season team and a poor playoff team. The players have careers because the league exists and fans didn’t create it. The players have careers because of the work they put in combined with their natural gifts. Fans have nothing to do with that hard work or the gifts they have. I’m sure Kevin Love isn’t worried about “retaining fans”. He wants to win. As for his merchandise, if he goes to the Lakers or any other big market team and wins, his merchandise will sell a lot more than in Minnesota. And he will probably become a global star which is what we are about to see with Dwight Howard.

  • pposse

    the superstars of this day and age do not have the testicular fortitude to gut it out with their teams. The are weak minded, therefore they demand trades showing their ultimate hoe card ‘the GIVE UP card’ and think for some strange reason that it is all in the name of ‘winning’ – this is mental midgetry at its finest. Guys like GP Ewing Hakeem Barkley Bird Doctor Magic Laimbeer Zeke they wasn’t about that life. What’s worse, most at the end of their careers will blame Lebron for it.

  • pposse

    okay so game 7 agains the Celtics in 2008 wasnt any indication to you that the cavs did have a shot at the ring? Or am i ‘majorly misinformed?’ stop it, lebron is that good. Mo Wiliams is not a top pg in any way shape or form…he is not even a top 10 pg in the game..stop it.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Your definition of “gut it out” means losing. I’m glad they don’t want to keep losing. It’s better for the game. Whether you like it or not, fans are watching. They love it. Ratings are up. It’s not “mental midgetry”. And it’s not about “testicular fortitude”. It’s about being smart. People play to win. Not to just be out there. All of those guys you mentioned played on good winning teams so there was no need to leave. GP, Ewing and Barkley all were in Finals series. The others you mentioned won championships. So what exactly are you trying to say? You’re making absolutely no sense dude. Name one great player who was on a perpetually bad team by choice who is praised for staying on that bad team.

  • pposse

    the guys i referred to were on winning teams because they were the spear heads of those teams!! SMDH..

  • roscoe

    I was referencing last year’s %. I am not predicting how many games they will win in total, but I am saying they probably will not make the playoffs.
    I was not bashing the owner, just stating a fact & that fact that the team is up for sale has significant impacts on teams in all sports including MIN.
    For instance, when a team is up for sale GMs hands are typically tied up which is not always in the best interests of the team on the floor, but is in the teams best interests on the balance sheet.

  • roscoe

    I think you will be surprised by DAL if Dirk is healthy.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Oh, you mean the game where LeBron played his behind off just to match Paul Pierce while his teammates did nothing to help him? Yeah, I remember that. It reminds me of the other moments where he was playing by himself in the postseason. Like against Orlando in the ECF in 2009. Or in Game 5 in Detroit in 07. No man can do it by himself. Teams get exposed in the playoffs. The Cavs were exposed as a one man show multiple times. LeBron got tired of it and he left. Great decision he made.

  • http://twitter.com/Jzakoni Verified Account

    most of his interviews this summer bruh

  • roscoe

    You have some good points and I agree with a lot of them.
    As far as Love goes I believe he a solid player w/ stats, but I am not sure about the superstar statement. Maybe he is, but to get there imo he needs to be successful & play at a high level in the playoffs or it is not worth debating 2 much bc being the best player that never makes the playoff is no prize, its a joke.

  • pposse

    all that being said they were one game away from the finals. So Lebron played on the worst team in the L pretty much, and decides to go to a team that is overcompenstated in talent. I mean where is the happy medium?? On top of that, the wiser move was to go to the Bulls. Since Lebrons decision it seems like every other star made some sort of knee jerk reaction to it in order to compete…thereby contracting the league. if your all for that then you might as well contract the season too, the nba should just be a summer league.

  • LakeShow

    Oh… okay..

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    That Game 7 was in the 2nd round, not the ECF so no, they weren’t a game away from the Finals. He made the right decision. Period. They got to the Finals in his first season in Miami. He now has a championship. He made the right move. Everyone who has made similar decisions to leave weren’t making knee jerk reactions. They were making smart decisions based on who they were playing with and who they could play with in other cities. You are completely overreacting talking about contracting the season and the NBA being a summer league lol. Come back to reality dude. OKC vs. LA. Miami vs. Chicago. Miami vs. OKC. Boston vs. NY. Miami vs. Boston. Memphis vs. San Antonio. San Antonio vs. OKC. These are great matchups that now exist. Indiana is a good team. Sacramento has young talent. Golden State the same. The Bobcats just don’t have smart people in the front office or in ownership. Teams that have been managed well are doing well. Teams that haven’t managed well have only themselves to blame. The league had great rivalries in the 80s and 90s. Now they have it again. It’s great for the game. Sorry if your feelings got hurt when LeBron made that great move and others followed suit. But the proof is there. It’s great for the game. Who it’s not great for is those teams who aren’t winning. But again, it is what it is. San Antonio got the pingpong ball to go their way and they got Duncan. Cleveland got LeBron. NO had CP3. Seattle/OKC got Durant, Westbrook and Harden. Each organization had plenty of time to surround these guys with good/great talent. San Antonio and OKC did. Cleveland and NO weren’t able to. Guys left. Deal with it. Coming from a guy who has accused Chris Paul of being soft and sensitive, you sure are being extremely soft and sensitive over this.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    They were “spear heads” on bad teams as well lol. They didn’t win until they had good teammates. Did you not watch??

  • pposse

    name me any other sport that has as many superstars traded or leaving as there are in the NBA..there are none! NBA is still second to the NFL in ratings by a land slide. NFL players do NOT act like this. There is waay too much talent in the league right now for these guys to be teaming up with each other, the product would be just as good if not better if some of these guys had their own teams. But watch, just wait till the summer i am %75 sure CP will try and find a way to the Lakers, or another ‘better fit’ its just too much, they do this cause they are weak, mentally especially. You trying to call me soft cause i called a player soft is ridiculous, why would you personally attack me anyways..dont answer that, i dont want to hear it

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Basketball isn’t any other sport. NFL isn’t comparable to the NBA. NFL contracts aren’t guaranteed so those guys play whether they are on a good team or not. They know that they can be cut for any reason. Chris left because NO didn’t have a good team around him and he’s in his prime not because he’s mentally weak. It takes a mentally weak person to not be able to see this. Either mentally weak or just flat out idiotic. He went back and they cheered for him and showed their appreciation for him. See, some fans get it. They understand. No hard feelings. Others, like you, don’t get it. Others burn jerseys as if that is really going to affect LeBron or Dwight. Whenever you are so angry that you will burn a jersey, it’s clear that you care too much. As if these guys had personal relationships with those fans. It’s not a personal attack, you’re just very sensitive over this issue with your exclamation points and outrageous comments about the NBA going to just being a summer league or just disappearing altogether because of guys wanting to play on good teams. You even went as far as to talk about how much money you spend on beer like anyone cares.

  • pposse

    basketball is a sport, nfl is a sport, and i just compared them. i understand things might get lost in translation cause i have to write things down, so i forgive you for your hasty generalizations…cause i too was happy lebron left..but his best option at the time was chicago..he instead went to play with his friends..this was evident when d rose won the mvp in 2011…bosh would have followed to chicago if lebron told bosh to go there, plus we have a center out here..we’ll see what happens next summer..your whole assumption on chris pauls character is based off the fact that he indeed will sign with the la clippers next summer…lets wait and see, ill remember this when and if cp3 signs somewhere else so you can put the egg on your own face…who are you anyways to call anyone mentally weak and or idiotic, sensitive, and then say its not a personal attack LOL. I forgive you for popping off like that..if you were anywhere near me i’d son you the way Pau did CP just so you know that we are cool..ball players mentalities in the 90′s were to beat other star players with their own teams…these days the stars want to play together..if you can’t see the character differences then idk what to tell you..i think its a flaw and im not in some kind of huge minority when i say that..you think its smart, and thats cool with me, i get it, if you can’t see it from my perspective, from barkleys perspective, and many other public figures who spoke out about it this issue, then educate yourself…

  • pposse

    btw cp3 was traded because NO was in between ownership, he was able to walk in two years, and it was in everyone’s best interest to not have paul make the hornets a little better than a top five lottery team..voila the hornets get the number one pick, new owner, new beginning…stern didn’t allow the trade to LA to protect the integrity of the league, afterall there just was a lockout where owners were crying about how hard it was to compete bc of teams like the lakers…paul and howard want to play together and if those babies have it their way, it might just happen..wait till 2013 summer just wait fam

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    CP3 requested a trade mainly because the team around him wasn’t good enough to compete in the short or long term. Ownership wasn’t the biggest factor there. Paul and Howard both want to win. That’s their main goal. Not playing together. I’ve actually not heard a word about them wanting to play together. No one has reported anything about it. No rumors. No nothing. So you grabbed that out of nowhere just like it seems you’ve grabbed all of your other fallacies from who knows where. If the Clippers get past the 2nd round this coming season, I see Chris staying. And I doubt Dwight will leave the Lakers.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    That’s your comparison? Basketball is a sport and NFL is a sport so they’re the same? Wow. That entire sentence sounded like something a little kid would come up with. Nothing is lost in translation. You just haven’t made any sense at all. None. Nothing you’ve said has made any kind of sense. Now you’ve shown yourself to be hurt because LeBron didn’t choose your team. LeBron chose to play with his friends…who also happen to be the best 2 guard in basketball and a top 5 PF in basketball in D-Wade and Bosh. I didn’t make an assumption on Chris’ character. Throughout his career, he’s shown himself to be everything but mentally weak. Anyone who has read what you’ve said has no choice but to see how sensitive you are about grown men doing what they want to do with their careers. Players in the 90s wanted to win. The only reason they were able to compete so hard is because they were on good teams. It was fun for them because they all had good teams. If they didn’t have good teams, there would have been no competition. There are no character differences regardless of what any of those guys had to say about LeBron moving to Miami. They had the luxury of playing with good teammates that LeBron didn’t have. The only one who needs education here is you. I doubt you can get it though since you seem to have not watched any basketball in the 90s. You didn’t see any of those bad teams the 90s stars had before they started winning with good teammates. LeBron is in Miami. He’s not in Chicago. Deal with it. Today’s stars will do what they want with their careers. And they should. That’s the way the game is. The majority of fans love it. They’re going to games. They’re watching on TV. LeBron had the 4th most popular jersey this past season. Melo had the 5th. My guess is that with his first championship, LeBron will move up that list this coming season. This is how it is. Either accept it or keep whining about it and making yourself look childish.

  • pposse

    an athelte is an athlete, no matter the sport. winning is winning, no matter the sport. stop writing essays to me, and stop putting a thumbs down on all my posts, and praying and waiting for someone to thumb up your post. you just dont get it, you think that the these players back then were “on good teams” as you say. I am telling you that “these players” were the reason that that their teams were good. they instilled confidence in their teammates….how do you think a jameer nelso and jj reddick will play (especially in crunch time situations) when their leader is constantly in trade rumors, and dissatisfied? Like it doesnt matter at all..cmon now, and Melo’s jersey sales is cause he plays in NY stop this nonsense. Lebron sales should be number one since he is the best player in the L right now…but its not. lol, now you resort to call me a lil kid, like i said i would son u if i ever see u…keep trying to get at me son, just know, whenever your ready to apologize i will be man enough to accept it..

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    You make yourself look stupid and now you think you deserve an apology? lol. This is a comment section on a basketball website dude. It’s really not that serious. I hit you with facts. You’re mad that players are willing to do whatever it takes to win and go wherever they need to go to do it. It’s obvious you really didn’t pay attention in the 90s and you don’t pay attention to today’s game either. This really isn’t something you can deny because it’s the truth. They won when they had good players around them. You have yet to prove that wrong. Bird, Magic, Jordan, Bill Russell, Duncan, Ewing, Hakeem. All of these guys had one or more star players with them. You just keep saying they were the only reason their teams were good as if it had nothing to do with the guys they were around. Jordan was known as just a scorer until he had good teammates. The best player ever in most people’s minds couldn’t do it by himself. There’s really nothing else that needs to be said. Your argument falls apart right there. It really doesn’t matter how much confidence you instill in guys. If they can’t play, they just can’t play. Have fun being miserable and thinking fans mean so much to these guys and should have an impact on the decisions that they make. Also, no, LeBron shouldn’t have the best selling jersey just because he’s the best player. Jeremy Lin excited the same audience Yao Ming had when he was playing. The same audience that had him starting in the All-Star game multiple times. Basically an entire continent. And D-Rose is an extremely popular player with a pretty huge fanbase. There are still fans who are upset with LeBron for making his move so it’s easy to see why he’s not further up on that list. I’m sure that this upcoming season, he’ll be closer to #1 since he just won a championship and some of those fans have rightly let the summer of 2010 go.

  • ppposse

    why aint u thumb up your comment? that is all

  • pposse

    or why aint u thumb down my last comment?

  • Jeremys6226

    Excited for this year’s T-Wolves but Rubio will need to be strong and hopefully Roy and Kirilenko can come back big

  • http://twitter.com/Jzakoni Verified Account

    No way buddy.

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