Kevin Love: 'A Lot Of Guys Need to look in the Mirror, Starting With Lebron'

[Roy H.]

Wow, he really said that? Nice try, princess.
What a backstabbing, little female dog.

People really wanted that guy on the Celtics? smh

Why? Because he has the junk to call out the leader of the team. A team that should be dominating the East like GWS and the spurs are dominating the West. It does start at the top.

Kevin Love:

December: 12.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, 37.3% FG%, .474 TS%

January:  11.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 34.7% FG%, .486 TS%

Lebron James:

December:  25.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 47.4% FG%, .541 TS%

January:  24.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 55.0% FG%, .635 TS%

Who is the one who should be looking in the mirror?

Love is basically giving LeBron the same scoring Bosh did, with a better 3 percentage and more rebounding.  He's the one who is being asked to sacrifice his stats and be the third wheel while LeBron and Kyrie essentially get whatever they want.

I can't blame Love for not being a beta-male who is just happy being LeBron's sidekick, but I can't spare him too much sympathy since he should have known that is the way it would be before he signed that big deal to stay in Cleveland.

Mike

I might buy into this more if Love was averaging more than 12 points on 35% shooting the past two months.  In Bosh's least productive year with Lebron he averaged 16.2 points on 51.6% shooting, with excellent pick-and-roll defense.

You're having trouble adapting?  Buck up, buttercup.  It's the NBA.  A random guy taken out of the D-League can probably having a better December / January than Love.  When you're performing like a scrub on both offense and defense, looking in the mirror has to start with you.

Being one of only 9 people in the league to average double figures in points and rebounds is a bit more than a scrub.  And do you want to lay any money down on Bosh having two months as bad or worse than Love when he was playing with LeBron?

Mike

I don't find it impressive if an NBA player scores in double digits if he's shooting 35 percent while doing so.

And sure, I will bet whatever you'd like that Bosh never had two consecutive months where he scored 12.7 ppg or fewer, with a sub-37.3% FG% and less than .474 TS%, and played bad P&R defense. Name your bet.

EDIT: Bosh never had even one month with Lebron where he scored below 13 ppg, and in no month did he shoot below 43.5% or post less than a .494 TS%.

[KeepRondo]

Wow, he really said that? Nice try, princess.
What a backstabbing, little female dog.

People really wanted that guy on the Celtics? smh

Why? Because he has the junk to call out the leader of the team. A team that should be dominating the East like GWS and the spurs are dominating the West. It does start at the top.

Kevin Love:

December: 12.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, 37.3% FG%, .474 TS%

January:  11.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 34.7% FG%, .486 TS%

Lebron James:

December:  25.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 47.4% FG%, .541 TS%

January:  24.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 55.0% FG%, .635 TS%

Who is the one who should be looking in the mirror?

Love is basically giving LeBron the same scoring Bosh did, with a better 3 percentage and more rebounding.  He's the one who is being asked to sacrifice his stats and be the third wheel while LeBron and Kyrie essentially get whatever they want.

I can't blame Love for not being a beta-male who is just happy being LeBron's sidekick, but I can't spare him too much sympathy since he should have known that is the way it would be before he signed that big deal to stay in Cleveland.

Mike

I might buy into this more if Love was averaging more than 12 points on 35% shooting the past two months.  In Bosh's least productive year with Lebron he averaged 16.2 points on 51.6% shooting, with excellent pick-and-roll defense.

You're having trouble adapting?  Buck up, buttercup.  It's the NBA.  A random guy taken out of the D-League can probably having a better December / January than Love.  When you're performing like a scrub on both offense and defense, looking in the mirror has to start with you.

Being one of only 9 people in the league to average double figures in points and rebounds is a bit more than a scrub.  And do you want to lay any money down on Bosh having two months as bad or worse than Love when he was playing with LeBron?

Mike

I don't find it impressive if an NBA player scores in double digits if he's shooting 35 percent while doing so.

And sure, I will bet whatever you'd like that Bosh never had two consecutive months where he scored 12.7 ppg or fewer, with a sub-37.3% FG% and less than .474 TS%, and played bad P&R defense. Name your bet.

EDIT: Bosh never had even one month with Lebron where he scored below 13 ppg, and in no month did he shoot below 43.5% or post less than a .494 TS%.

Demarcus Cousins averaged 39 percent over 20 or so games back in November and also has an attitude problem.

[byennie]

Say what you will, this is still a guy who averaged 26-13-4 with high efficiency the last time he was featured on offense. Maybe he should have adjusted better, but maybe he'd still be one of the best offensive players in the league with a better coach and system.

Amir, Lee, KO, Turner for Love, Varejao would make some sense for both teams. We take a salary hit next year but then Varejao becomes an expiring deal after the max cap season. Cleveland gets 3-4 rotation players and next year's option on Amir. Suddenly they look much deeper, and probably get some inspired performances out of Amir and Turner and Lee chasing a title.

Irving / Delladova
Smith / Shumpert
James / TURNER
AMIR / KO / LEE
Thompson / Mozgov

Boston clears some roster spots and looks like

Thomas / Smart
Bradley / Hunter / Young
Crowder / Jerebko
LOVE / Sully
Zeller / VAREJAO

Clearly we would need to make another move for a rim protector, but that big man rotation would certainly score with Zeller running the P&R and Love the stretch '4'.

[ssspence]

Listen to the Zach Lowe podcast from about minute 6-7 through minute 15. He makes some excellent points about both Love's strengths, but also about his fit in Cleveland considering their win now mode, and how that translates to their need to match up well with GSW and / or SAS.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=14611206

[MBunge]

Wow, he really said that? Nice try, princess.
What a backstabbing, little female dog.

People really wanted that guy on the Celtics? smh

Why? Because he has the junk to call out the leader of the team. A team that should be dominating the East like GWS and the spurs are dominating the West. It does start at the top.

Kevin Love:

December: 12.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, 37.3% FG%, .474 TS%

January:  11.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 34.7% FG%, .486 TS%

Lebron James:

December:  25.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 47.4% FG%, .541 TS%

January:  24.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 55.0% FG%, .635 TS%

Who is the one who should be looking in the mirror?

Love is basically giving LeBron the same scoring Bosh did, with a better 3 percentage and more rebounding.  He's the one who is being asked to sacrifice his stats and be the third wheel while LeBron and Kyrie essentially get whatever they want.

I can't blame Love for not being a beta-male who is just happy being LeBron's sidekick, but I can't spare him too much sympathy since he should have known that is the way it would be before he signed that big deal to stay in Cleveland.

Mike

I might buy into this more if Love was averaging more than 12 points on 35% shooting the past two months.  In Bosh's least productive year with Lebron he averaged 16.2 points on 51.6% shooting, with excellent pick-and-roll defense.

You're having trouble adapting?  Buck up, buttercup.  It's the NBA.  A random guy taken out of the D-League can probably having a better December / January than Love.  When you're performing like a scrub on both offense and defense, looking in the mirror has to start with you.

Being one of only 9 people in the league to average double figures in points and rebounds is a bit more than a scrub.  And do you want to lay any money down on Bosh having two months as bad or worse than Love when he was playing with LeBron?

Mike

I don't find it impressive if an NBA player scores in double digits if he's shooting 35 percent while doing so.

And sure, I will bet whatever you'd like that Bosh never had two consecutive months where he scored 12.7 ppg or fewer, with a sub-37.3% FG% and less than .474 TS%, and played bad P&R defense. Name your bet.

EDIT: Bosh never had even one month with Lebron where he scored below 13 ppg, and in no month did he shoot below 43.5% or post less than a .494 TS%.

Judging from the way you carefully framed those stats, there were months when Bosh was almost as terrible offensively as Love while rebounding less and being a better defender.  So Bosh was just slightly better than a scrub with LeBron in Miami?

Mike

[Monkhouse]

Listen to the Zach Lowe podcast from about minute 6-7 through minute 15. He makes some excellent points about both Love's strengths, but also about his fit in Cleveland considering their win now mode, and how that translates to their need to match up well with GSW and / or SAS.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=14611206

Will listen to it when I get a chance, but as far as I'm concerned, Lowe has always been on the bandwagon that he doesn't really fit on the Cavs scheme, unless he changed his mind?

Honestly the Cavs just need a better defending 4, that can shoot 3's.

[Evantime34]

Listen to the Zach Lowe podcast from about minute 6-7 through minute 15. He makes some excellent points about both Love's strengths, but also about his fit in Cleveland considering their win now mode, and how that translates to their need to match up well with GSW and / or SAS.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=14611206

He talks about Love to the C's at around the 36 mark, says some nice things about Jae and says Boston won't get Kevin Love without giving up Crowder.

[max215]

I don't think Bron ever really appreciated how awesome Chris Bosh is. You couldn't find a better player to play the third star role on an LBJ team.

[Lucky17]

Not sure why the Cavs locked up so much payroll in their frontcourt. Especially when CLE has a distinct advantage against most of the league when they can play LeBron at the 4.

I wonder if Cavs will consider going after Markieff Morris now. They have a trade exception big enough to absorb him, without sending out Love -- even though trading Love would certainly have to follow.

[Lucky17]

Listen to the Zach Lowe podcast from about minute 6-7 through minute 15. He makes some excellent points about both Love's strengths, but also about his fit in Cleveland considering their win now mode, and how that translates to their need to match up well with GSW and / or SAS.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=14611206

He talks about Love to the C's at around the 36 mark, says some nice things about Jae and says Boston won't get Kevin Love without giving up Crowder.

That's nice and all, but I seriously doubt Ainge would be the one that blinks first in that GM showdown.

[ssspence]

Listen to the Zach Lowe podcast from about minute 6-7 through minute 15. He makes some excellent points about both Love's strengths, but also about his fit in Cleveland considering their win now mode, and how that translates to their need to match up well with GSW and / or SAS.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=14611206

He talks about Love to the C's at around the 36 mark, says some nice things about Jae and says Boston won't get Kevin Love without giving up Crowder.

I see Ainge resisting that like all hell. I could see him giving up Bradley in a deal for Love. Bradley, Jerebko, and Sullinger as a basis would make some sense for Cleveland, and works under the cap. 

[Evantime34]

Listen to the Zach Lowe podcast from about minute 6-7 through minute 15. He makes some excellent points about both Love's strengths, but also about his fit in Cleveland considering their win now mode, and how that translates to their need to match up well with GSW and / or SAS.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=14611206

He talks about Love to the C's at around the 36 mark, says some nice things about Jae and says Boston won't get Kevin Love without giving up Crowder.

I see Ainge resisting that like all hell. I could see him giving up Bradley in a deal for Love. Bradley, Jerebko, and Sullinger as a basis would make some sense for Cleveland, and works under the cap.

I think they would want Olynyk instead of Sully. I wouldn't have any problem trading Bradley, Olynyk and picks for Love though.

I agree about Bradley though. What I didn't understand about the podcast is Lowe brought up an idea of Caldwell-Pope, Ilyasova and a Detroit first for Love, but then said the Celtics couldn't get Love without giving up Crowder. We could easily top that package without giving up Crowder.

[ssspence]

Listen to the Zach Lowe podcast from about minute 6-7 through minute 15. He makes some excellent points about both Love's strengths, but also about his fit in Cleveland considering their win now mode, and how that translates to their need to match up well with GSW and / or SAS.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=14611206

He talks about Love to the C's at around the 36 mark, says some nice things about Jae and says Boston won't get Kevin Love without giving up Crowder.

I see Ainge resisting that like all hell. I could see him giving up Bradley in a deal for Love. Bradley, Jerebko, and Sullinger as a basis would make some sense for Cleveland, and works under the cap.

I think they would want Olynyk instead of Sully. I wouldn't have any problem trading Bradley, Olynyk and picks for Love though.

I agree about Bradley though. What I didn't understand about the podcast is Lowe brought up an idea of Caldwell-Pope, Ilyasova and a Detroit first for Love, but then said the Celtics couldn't get Love without giving up Crowder. We could easily top that package without giving up Crowder.

I don't believe Ainge would give up Olynyk in a Love deal. I have it on excellent authority that Ainge LOVES Olynyk -- that he's about as untouchable as any player on the Cs roster. I believe Ainge hangs up the phone on most deals (short of a franchise player) where Olynyk, Crowder or Thomas are requested.

Meanwhile, Cleveland is one of the places where I see Sully as an excellent fit.

[Lucky17]

Listen to the Zach Lowe podcast from about minute 6-7 through minute 15. He makes some excellent points about both Love's strengths, but also about his fit in Cleveland considering their win now mode, and how that translates to their need to match up well with GSW and / or SAS.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=14611206

He talks about Love to the C's at around the 36 mark, says some nice things about Jae and says Boston won't get Kevin Love without giving up Crowder.

I see Ainge resisting that like all hell. I could see him giving up Bradley in a deal for Love. Bradley, Jerebko, and Sullinger as a basis would make some sense for Cleveland, and works under the cap.

I think they would want Olynyk instead of Sully. I wouldn't have any problem trading Bradley, Olynyk and picks for Love though.

I agree about Bradley though. What I didn't understand about the podcast is Lowe brought up an idea of Caldwell-Pope, Ilyasova and a Detroit first for Love, but then said the Celtics couldn't get Love without giving up Crowder. We could easily top that package without giving up Crowder.

I don't think there's any way Detroit moves KCP. They absolutely love him. RJax, KCP, Drummond is the franchise core (and I bet Stanley Johnson is probably core material too). Ryan Anderson will be a FA this offseason; wouldn't be surprised if he's DET's #1 target.

I'm trying to think of an equitable 3-team deal between PHX, CLE, and BOS where Cavs get Markieff and value, and BOS sends out Lee and sweetener to get Love.

[Monkhouse]

Listen to the Zach Lowe podcast from about minute 6-7 through minute 15. He makes some excellent points about both Love's strengths, but also about his fit in Cleveland considering their win now mode, and how that translates to their need to match up well with GSW and / or SAS.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=14611206

He talks about Love to the C's at around the 36 mark, says some nice things about Jae and says Boston won't get Kevin Love without giving up Crowder.

I see Ainge resisting that like all hell. I could see him giving up Bradley in a deal for Love. Bradley, Jerebko, and Sullinger as a basis would make some sense for Cleveland, and works under the cap.

I think they would want Olynyk instead of Sully. I wouldn't have any problem trading Bradley, Olynyk and picks for Love though.

I agree about Bradley though. What I didn't understand about the podcast is Lowe brought up an idea of Caldwell-Pope, Ilyasova and a Detroit first for Love, but then said the Celtics couldn't get Love without giving up Crowder. We could easily top that package without giving up Crowder.

I don't think there's any way Detroit moves KCP. They absolutely love him. RJax, KCP, Drummond is the franchise core (and I bet Stanley Johnson is probably core material too).

I'm trying to think of an equitable 3-team deal between PHX, CLE, and BOS where Cavs get Markieff and value, and BOS sends out Lee and sweetener to get Love.

Kind of what I'm hoping for.