Is KLove this rebuild's Ray Allen or KG?

[Vermont Green]

I looked through the ongoing KLove threads but I didn't see something that fit my thought process/desire for opinion.

Kevin Love measured the exact same size at David Lee (6'-7 3/4" wo, shoes, 6'-9" with shoes) but the Timberwolves list him at 6'-10".  I don't see many Minni games but I always thought of KLove as David Lee with a 3-Point shot (lots of stats but shallow stats).  That is not to minimize the value of the 3-Point shot.  I guess that is the difference between 18 ppg and 24-26 ppg.  Clearly (to me at least) KLove is not in the LeBron/Durant stratosphere but is he Dirk less 3"?  So is DLove closer to David Lee, Dirk Nowitzki or even better than Dirk?  Maybe he is about Chris Bosh.

Then there is the #6 pick (which I assume Minni will want).  Jeff Green was a #5.  What is the chance that our #6 this year will be a better player than Jeff Green?  2007 was a really good draft class (Oden, Durant, Horford, Conley, Green, Yi, Brewer...).  Trading the #5 for Ray Allen (much older and probably not any better than KLove) certainly turned out to be a smart trade.  So what is the chance that our #6 ends up being good enough that we really regret trading it?

Finally, I can't get my head around the question of how good we would be with Rondo, Love, and let's say Green as our #3.  Better than Curry and Lee (I sure hope so).  Better than Nowitzki and Jason Kidd (how did that team beat Miami or even get to the finals)?  As good as Durant and Westbrook?  It seems like it would be closer to Curry and Lee than Durant and Westbrook.

I guess in summary, I am not too worried about trading the #6, it is a crap shoot at best, but maybe Klove is this rebuild's Ray Allen and the KG equivalent is another deal, made more viable because we have KLove.  If so, we better have enough assets after the KLove deal to make another deal.

[footey]

Good pov from VT.

What made Kevin Garnett so valuable to us was the way he anchored and quarterbacked the defense, creating accountability on the floor. Who is going to be the guy to do that?  Asik?  I don't think so. Good defensive center, but does not strike me as a leader type. Rondo?  Maybe.

[rondohondo]

Good pov from VT.

What made Kevin Garnett so valuable to us was the way he anchored and quarterbacked the defense, creating accountability on the floor. Who is going to be the guy to do that?  Asik?  I don't think so. Good defensive center, but does not strike me as a leader type. Rondo?  Maybe.

Gasol in 2015 when he is a free agent, screw Melo, I'd rather have Gasol . Just have to clear the cap space somehow ...

[GreenWarrior]

I've looked at Love as Ray Allen in this scenario for a while now. when we traded for Ray no one was really excited. but then we got KG and the acquisition of Ray Allen looked way more impressive.

[BASS_THUMPER]

haha no way we got Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett at their peak right before their decline and Kevin love will never be as good as those guys

[Vermont Green]

haha no way we got Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett at their peak right before their decline and Kevin love will never be as good as those guys

I am not sure I follow.  So you don't think that Love could be the 3rd best player on a championship team (like Ray Allen was) or a 2A/2B like say a Bosh/Wade?

And yes, that Love is much younger than either Ray Allen or KG when we got them to me would make him more valuable to acquire even if at his ultimate peak, he is not as good.

[hpantazo]

We got KG and Ray just as they were starting their decline, so yea, getting Love at his age right now would be much more valuable, and pairing him with Rondo at his age would set us up for a longer window than we had with Pierce, KG, and Ray. Actually, Ray was coming off double ankle surgery, and Pierce had missed almost a year for a broken foot, and KG already had a ton of miles on his legs.

[86MaxwellSmart]

If we get Love....I fully expect Gasol, Pierce and Ray Allen to be Celtics next season.
 

[hpantazo]

If we get Love....I fully expect Gasol, Pierce and Ray Allen to be Celtics next season.
 

well, that would certainly be one way for Ray to be forgiven in Boston.

[fitzhickey]

If we get Love....I fully expect Gasol, Pierce and Ray Allen to be Celtics next season.
 

which one? 

[greg683x]

haha no way we got Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett at their peak right before their decline and Kevin love will never be as good as those guys

I think it's pretty fair to say Kevin Love can provide at least the same type of impact Ray Allen had here.  No he'll never be the Garnett, but i dont think anyone here is expecting that.

I also dont think we'll see the same type of big three and then everyone else type of roster here.  We might be looking at a more balanced attack throughout the roster similar to the Pistons in '04 and possible even San Antonio today.  Lots of great all around players but no single franchise changing player

[blink]

I don't really think any of these comparisons to the old big 3 (PP, KG, RA) and any new big 2 or 3 or 4 really have much merit.  KG really was the prize, and there isn't anyone in the NBA right now other than Lebron who has the ability to completely transform a team by himself.  Getting KG was lightning in a bottle, a one time kind of thing.

I hope if we do get Love, and if RR stays that we can just let them develop into their own thing without all the direct comparisons.  I know, almost impossible....But we are just going to be disappointed if we try to expect the same transition without that once in a generation player like KG.

[greg683x]

I don't really think any of these comparisons to the old big 3 (PP, KG, RA) and any new big 2 or 3 or 4 really have much merit.  KG really was the prize, and there isn't anyone in the NBA right now other than Lebron who has the ability to completely transform a team by himself.  Getting KG was lightning in a bottle, a one time kind of thing.

I hope if we do get Love, and if RR stays that we can just let them develop into their own thing without all the direct comparisons.  I know, almost impossible....But we are just going to be disappointed if we try to expect the same transition without that once in a generation player like KG.

i agree TP

[Smokeeye123]

He's the pierce. Rondo is the ray allen. We still need a KG.

[indeedproceed]

He's the pierce. Rondo is the ray allen. We still need a KG.

Well put I think.