At a critical point in the Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves game on 12/30/13, Samuel Dalembert grabbed a defensive rebound to solidify the Mavericks win…so he thought.
With less than 10-seconds left, Dalembert’s seven-foot frame corralled the ball but before he passed the ball to teammate Monta Ellis, he walked, giving the Timberwolves one last crack with the score 100-98.
6.6 seconds remained on the clock when flashy-guard Ricky Rubio, the inbound passer, found Kevin Love in the corner behind the three-point line. Love, who was being defended closely by Shawn Marion, took a hard dribble left and squared for the game-winner.
Love’s shot never sniffed the rim as Marion managed to strip the ball while Love was in mid-air. Love looked befuddled and deservingly so. After watching the replay, it was too obvious that Marion didn’t even touch the ball, he simply grabbed Love’s arm.
Fouls are constant in the NBA and it’s not surprising that a foul was missed, but, with the game on the line and one of the premiere players having the ball, there’s no reason why the call was missed.
Here’s the conundrum I am facing in regards to Love. First, is he a premiere player? Secondly, should he be blamed for spending five-years in hapless Minnesota? Lastly, can a player be called a superstar despite the fact that he’s never led his club to the postseason?
Since entering the NBA out of UCLA in 2008, Love has been notorious for double-doubles. He has consistently improved year-after-year. From 2009 to 2012, Love’s points-per-game has gone from 14 to 20 to 26. His rebounding, which is second-to-none, has continued on a stellar pace. Excluding his rookie season, Love has averaged double-figures in rebounds including a career high average of 15.2 in his 2010-2011 campaign.
His stats are undeniable, but why haven’t the Timberwolves made it to the postseason since drafting Love fifth overall? Since his inception, the Timberwolves have won 128 games while their losses are nearly double at 297.
Courtesy: Yahoo Sports
I find myself feeling sorry for Love, thinking about how a tremendous talent has been wasting away in Minnesota. Wait a second… I should be irate at Love, not Minnesota. I am all for loyalty and enjoy seeing an athlete spend his entire career or most of his playing days with one organization. But, when the organization fails to make winning a priority, I would like the star to sever all ties.
Love has barely scratched the surface in terms of popularity and if he continues to put his faith in the Timberwolves, it will remain that way. The addition of Ricky Rubio provided a glimmer of hope but even that will not change the direction of the franchise. The supporting cast is dreadful and it doesn’t help that year-after-year the team squanders early picks on busts.
The Timberwolves could grow through free agency but what player in their right mind would want to play for them? Rubio is a fantastic guard with a pass-first mentality but without a potent scorer to co-exist with Love, losing will continue to be the only thing Minnesota does.
After the game, Timberwolves head coach Rick Adelman voiced his displeasure of Love’s no-call by offering the following sentiments:
”He got fouled,” Adelman said. ”I wonder what that would have been if (Dirk) Nowitzki, LeBron James, all the top players in the league – a guy reaches on a last-second shot like that, instead of challenging it. Maybe they don’t understand that Kevin is one of the top five players in this league. You make that call. But they didn’t.” […]
As fans we would like to think that the officials do not play favorites but it’s obvious to see that in fact they do. Love does not get the respect he deserves and this will not change if he continues to don the Timberwolves jersey.
After signing a four-year extension in 2012, Love is under contract until the summer of 2015 thanks to an opt-out clause.
Sources are already indicating that the New York Knicks are going “all-in” to land the power forward out of California. The Knicks brass is hoping that if they can lure Love, Carmelo Anthony will stay in Manhattan.
Viewed as a reserved player, even Love has spoken out publicly about the way the Timberwolves operate. The owner of the franchise, Glen Taylor, told the Star Tribune, “I don’t think Love is a star, he hasn’t led us to the playoffs.”
Love responded quickly and didn’t spare any bullets.
“You walk into the locker room every year, and it’s completely turned over,” Love says. “There’s new guys everywhere. And then it happens again and again. You start to wonder: Is there really a plan here? Is there really any kind of a … plan?”
Love’s comments were a bulls-eye.
How can a star lead his team to the postseason when the decision-makers have done little to help? The Timberwolves have traded away Al Jefferson and since 2006 have made countless poor decisions via the draft.
The club has drafted and then traded or wrongfully held on to the following players: Brandon Roy (traded), Corey Brewer (kept), O.J. Mayo (traded), Jonny Flynn (kept), Ty Lawson (traded), Wayne Ellington (kept), Wesley Johnson (kept) and Derrick Williams who was just traded.
Love is not on the level of Kobe Bryant and Lebron James but that should not count against him. He averages more than 20 points and 10 rebounds a game but without a supporting cast, his numbers are meaningless.
Taylor should look in the mirror before casting judgment on Love. Taylor has sat back and allowed his general managers to make awful decisions. If Taylor has any interest of winning basketball games, he should refrain from making disparaging comments about the only relevant player that has graced the franchise since the 2006-2007season, Kevin Garnett’s last year playing for the befuddled franchise.
To be considered a nationwide star, Love must leverage his opt-out clause and leave the franchise in the summer of 2015. Conventional fans will appreciate his game if he’s seen playing in the postseason, putting up double-doubles. Without a postseason presence, Love will never be accepted across the country as a premiere star.
