I see quite a few defensive liabilities already picked in the first round, if that's what we're going on here. Seems to me that most people have opted for offeensive strength in the first round, (with a couple of exceptions), so why is Love held to a different standard? I wanted a big man and offense with my first pick ... Kevin fit the bill perfectly.
Well there is a difference between what you mean by defensive liabilities, and what you mean by dominance.
My own pick, Amar'e, is weak defensively, in that its the worst part of his game. But not everyone is 'weak defensively' equally. Amar'e for instance is a pretty poor defensive anchor, but he's not bad on his man, and a good shotblocker. In that regard he's more than an adequate defender, especially if you look at his performance on the offensive end as a counterweight.
But Kevin Love is not on the same defensive level as those guys. While his rebounding is top natch and his shooting makes him a versatile offensive piece, his size and athleticism limits how much he can bother shots.
Hey Bahku, careful, live rounds!
Overall Defense
0.88 PPP Rank 184 Kevin Love
0.96 PPP Rank 351 Amare Stoudemire
Post Up Defense
0.87 PPP Rank 127 Kevin Love
0.90 PPP Rank 153 Amare Stoudemire
Pick and Roll Defense vs Roll Man
0.74 PPP Rank 22 Kevin Love
0.96 PPP Rank 63 Amare Stoudemire
Spot Up Defense
0.92 PPP Rank 110 Kevin Love
1.12 PPP Rank 204 Amare Stoudemire