Kevin Love is currently averaging 27 14 and 5 on 48%, can he keep it up?

[andremiller07]

While the numbers are unreal to me the most impressive thing about K Love is how relentless and confident he is, on offence in particular. The guy just never stops hustling and when you combine that with high IQ/skills it just a unreal mix.

[Dresta]

I just happened to come across this post for the year before his 26 point season



Where the red lines intersect is average. Top Right is very good. Love is pinned in the top right corner, virtually all of his team is on the bottom left.

How does the year before his 26 point season have anything to do with his 26 point season exactly? He had Rubio, Barea, Webster and a far improved Pekovic the following season. He additionally had Rick Adelman as coach. A top player would have dragged that team above where it was imo.

And this is irrelevant anyway: i was merely explaining why he isn't a versatile enough scorer right now to keep up the numbers he currently has. He isn't dominant inside, and he doesn't have much of a game off the dribble.

Then you just had to jump on my post and moronically proclaim me to be saying something i wasn't. Take your straw-man bullshit elsewhere.

[La Frescobaldi]

How does the year before his 26 point season have anything to do with his 26 point season exactly? He had Rubio, Barea, Webster and a far improved Pekovic the following season. He additionally had Rick Adelman as coach. A top player would have dragged that team above where it was imo.

And this is irrelevant anyway: i was merely explaining why he isn't a versatile enough scorer right now to keep up the numbers he currently has. He isn't dominant inside, and he doesn't have much of a game off the dribble.

Then you just had to jump on my post and moronically proclaim me to be saying something i wasn't. Take your straw-man bullshit elsewhere.

An interesting thread, although I'm like you... I got confused about the timelines that other guy was talking about. Didn't seem to make sense, talking about 1 season then switching to another.

What does 'dominant inside' mean to you?

[KevinNYC]

How does the year before his 26 point season have anything to do with his 26 point season exactly?

Just happened to be the year the graph was made for.

If you think Rubio, Pekovic for 27 minutes a game, Barea and Webster are enough to transform a 17 win team to a 500 team....well. You had Kevin Love and then nobody who could get you 15 points a game in 2012.

[GOBB]

Wade
Rose
Love

My fav 3 players. I lub me some lub. Also wish people would get off him not being a great defender. How many of the good PFs are? Hello? Anyone? Didnt think so.

[CelticBaller]

Remember when people thought Love snubbed Aldridge out of the All star game a couple of years back and were angry about it?

[Dresta]

Just happened to be the year the graph was made for.

If you think Rubio, Pekovic for 27 minutes a game, Barea and Webster are enough to transform a 17 win team to a 500 team....well. You had Kevin Love and then nobody who could get you 15 points a game in 2012.

Hence why he was able to score 26 a game, and why i don't think he'll average 27 this year. What don't you understand about that?

I was asked why i thought his points numbers would go down over the season when he averaged 26 last time he was healthy. Answer: he is not a versatile enough offensive player to average 27 on a playoff team. None of what you're accusing me of really has anything to do with what i said. You were just getting all defensive over nothing.

I still think he'll average around 25, i just said i thought his output would decline a bit from what it is now, only to get jumped on by loads of sensitive people.

An interesting thread, although I'm like you... I got confused about the timelines that other guy was talking about. Didn't seem to make sense, talking about 1 season then switching to another.

What does 'dominant inside' mean to you?

Someone who can score at will in the post.

[BarberSchool]

Someone who can score at will in the post.

There is no one besides maybe Dirk, Timmy in a game 6 or 7, Lebron when he's focused, in today's league who can score at will in a post up situation.

Carmelo, Hibbert, Lopez, Love, Aldridge, and a handful of others are very good scoring in the post, but with the way defense is now, it is not like it was in the 80's or 90's.....posting up now, the help defense can come from a shorter distance away and double team faster than in decades past.

It's not a post up league anymore so your point is moot.

[BarberSchool]

The real question is, does the fact that Kevin Love scores more of his points off of cuts, free throws, and open 3's make him less of an asset or more of an asset ?

It certainly makes him less of a noticeable superstar, as you'll never see a highlight of him in isolation, crossing someone over then dunking on them.

But let's really think about this, and please I'd like everyone to respond:

1. When has a guy had a season under his belt of 26ppg on good efficiency, and is looking like he will have another season at that rate, all of it done WITHOUT NEEDING THE BALL IN HIS HANDS MUCH ? AND WITHOUT NEEDING MANY PLAYS RUN FOR HIM?

2. Does a team benefit MORE from having multiple 20+PPG talents who both need the ball in their hands to succeed? Or does it benefit more when ONE 20+PPG talent needs the ball in their hands to succeed, and another does not need the ball in their hands to succeed?

[CavaliersFTW]

The real question is, does the fact that Kevin Love scores more of his points off of cuts, free throws, and open 3's make him less of an asset or more of an asset ?

It certainly makes him less of a noticeable superstar, as you'll never see a highlight of him in isolation, crossing someone over then dunking on them.

But let's really think about this, and please I'd like everyone to respond:

1. When has a guy had a season under his belt of 26ppg on good efficiency, and is looking like he will have another season at that rate, all of it done WITHOUT NEEDING THE BALL IN HIS HANDS MUCH ? AND WITHOUT NEEDING MANY PLAYS RUN FOR HIM?

2. Does a team benefit MORE from having multiple 20+PPG talents who both need the ball in their hands to succeed? Or does it benefit more when ONE 20+PPG talent needs the ball in their hands to succeed, and another does not need the ball in their hands to succeed?

Bob Pettit is one answer - there are quite a few more examples though, but Pettit is fresh on my mind cause I've been working on a mix. He plays almost identical to Love, or should I say Love almost identical to him. Scores by offensive rebounds, moving without the ball, drawing fouls inside - and a small hand full of actual legitimate field goal attempts from the perimeter.

That style of play earned Bob Pettit 2 league MVP's in the late 50's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a9ZQHKvYtE

[Leftimage]

The real question is, does the fact that Kevin Love scores more of his points off of cuts, free throws, and open 3's make him less of an asset or more of an asset ?

It certainly makes him less of a noticeable superstar, as you'll never see a highlight of him in isolation, crossing someone over then dunking on them.

But let's really think about this, and please I'd like everyone to respond:

1. When has a guy had a season under his belt of 26ppg on good efficiency, and is looking like he will have another season at that rate, all of it done WITHOUT NEEDING THE BALL IN HIS HANDS MUCH ? AND WITHOUT NEEDING MANY PLAYS RUN FOR HIM?

2. Does a team benefit MORE from having multiple 20+PPG talents who both need the ball in their hands to succeed? Or does it benefit more when ONE 20+PPG talent needs the ball in their hands to succeed, and another does not need the ball in their hands to succeed?

1. that's not a question.

2. I think it's a bit arbitrary to say good players NEED to have the ball in their hands. I know using Lebron as an example is a bit silly seeing how god-like he is, but on the Cavs (shitty team and coaching) he was better off dominating the ball. On the Heat that is not necessarily the case.

Now let's say Rubio goes down and the Wolves suddenly have no good distributors. Obviously, the fact Love doesn't have much of an iso game would become a liability to him and the team at that point. In fact I reckon his stats would falter pretty hard with no one feeding him.

[MavsSuperFan]

The real question is, does the fact that Kevin Love scores more of his points off of cuts, free throws, and open 3's make him less of an asset or more of an asset ?

It certainly makes him less of a noticeable superstar, as you'll never see a highlight of him in isolation, crossing someone over then dunking on them.

But let's really think about this, and please I'd like everyone to respond:

1. When has a guy had a season under his belt of 26ppg on good efficiency, and is looking like he will have another season at that rate, all of it done WITHOUT NEEDING THE BALL IN HIS HANDS MUCH ? AND WITHOUT NEEDING MANY PLAYS RUN FOR HIM?

2. Does a team benefit MORE from having multiple 20+PPG talents who both need the ball in their hands to succeed? Or does it benefit more when ONE 20+PPG talent needs the ball in their hands to succeed, and another does not need the ball in their hands to succeed?

IMO it hurts that he isnt a great scorer in set offensive pieces

1. the problem is can this guy be your go to guy in an elimination game in the playoffs? Think of all of the best players in NBA history. They all had reliable offensive moves and you could run the offense through them at key times. They could just take over the game.

2. So basically you are saying Love should be a second option and not the franchise.

[KevinNYC]

Hence why he was able to score 26 a game, and why i don't think he'll average 27 this year. What don't you understand about that?

I was asked why i thought his points numbers would go down over the season when he averaged 26 last time he was healthy. Answer: he is not a versatile enough offensive player to average 27 on a playoff team. None of what you're accusing me of really has anything to do with what i said. You were just getting all defensive over nothing.

I still think he'll average around 25, i just said i thought his output would decline a bit from what it is now, only to get jumped on by loads of sensitive people.


Someone who can score at will in the post.

So you arguing about 2 ppg? And calling people assholes on the other side of that argument?

Your argument basically boils down to, I don't like the way he scores. You're trying to discount his output because he's not conforming to your conception of a how a 27 ppg scorer should be.

Also teams will start to focus on Kevin Love later in the season? Any team that doesn't focus on Love when they play Minnesota should get a new coach as quick as possible. Dude ain't a rookie.

This is a discussion about stats. When the ball goes through the net the points count and your stats go up. It doesn't matter how the ball goes through the net. There's no stat called versatility.

[Dresta]

So you arguing about 2 ppg? And calling people assholes on the other side of that argument?

Your argument basically boils down to, I don't like the way he scores. You're trying to discount his output because he's not conforming to your conception of a how a 27 ppg scorer should be.

Also teams will start to focus on Kevin Love later in the season? Any team that doesn't focus on Love when they play Minnesota should get a new coach as quick as possible. Dude ain't a rookie.

This is a discussion about stats. When the ball goes through the net the points count and your stats go up. It doesn't matter how the ball goes through the net. There's no stat called versatility.

I was just giving my justification as to why i said i thought his points would drop 'a bit'

I didn't call anyone an asshole except you, not because you disagreed with me, but because i simply said why i thought his ppg would fall 'a bit' and got this pile of obnoxious bullshit from you:

'Which means none of those points should count and Kevin Love should just retire.


How many times are we going to have this conversation. Kevin Love does something nobody since Moses Malone has done, BUT

Kevin Love is doing something in his first nine games that no one since Kareem Abdul Jabbar has done for a full season, BUT'

What i said had nothing to do with that. You were just being an asshole.

[KevinNYC]

I was just giving my justification as to why i said i thought his points would drop 'a bit'

I didn't call anyone an asshole except you, not because you disagreed with me, but because i simply said why i thought his ppg would fall 'a bit' and got this pile of obnoxious bullshit from you:

'Which means none of those points should count and Kevin Love should just retire.


How many times are we going to have this conversation. Kevin Love does something nobody since Moses Malone has done, BUT

Kevin Love is doing something in his first nine games that no one since Kareem Abdul Jabbar has done for a full season, BUT'

What i said had nothing to do with that. You were just being an asshole.

I wasn't taking issue with you saying his points would drop a bit. Any great 9 game streak is still just a 9 game streak. I was taking issue with this argument

Because he isn't a versatile enough scorer to average 27. If he keeps it up he we get more and more focus put on him by opposing teams, and his numbers will fall. He won't keep getting the shots he's been getting. And, he will probably get injured at some point.

Which just doesn't make sense.
He's already proven he can average 26, what would be unusual about a star player getting better in their 6th year in the league. Versatility got absolutely nothing to do with it.
Teams aren't paying attention to him? Dude is easily the best player on his team and legitimately a top 10 player in the NBA, how do you overlook him? They've been sleeping on him?

This isn't some two-week Linsanity aberration where he is playing out of his head, this is a guy who has put up gaudy numbers before AND has shown the ability to elevate his game, by leaps and bounds. Perhaps he has done it again. The only stat that is truly out of whack with the number he has already proven he can put up is his assist average, not his points.

As for the BUT, BUT, I didn't say you gave those specific examples, but you making the same type of argument that always gets made with Kevin Love and FireDavidKahn knows exactly what I'm talking about. It basically boils down to he can't do what he does,[COLOR="Red"] and yet he does it.[/COLOR]