Kevin Love Defense

It's why Mr Stats Machine never got Minny to the playoffs. And also, because Rubio is the worst shooting PG in NBA history.

 

They're both pretty awful.

No wonder Carl was OK with trading Harden for Love.

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http://www.si.com/nba/2016/01/15/spurs-cavaliers-finals-matchup-lebron-james-kevin-love-defense

 

funny thing is harden is a MUCH better post defender than love is. duncan's game clinching turnaround bucket over love was probably the easiest look he's had in the post since high school. love wasn't even close to being in proper position to contest that

 

Pretty crazy how fast Kevin Love has faded in terms of star power.

 

Yes and yes.

 

but I thought it was Kevin Love's "team" that was to blame for them never winning and getting in the playoffs.

 

Got that max tho...

Spoiler

 

He was getting absolutely roasted by Parker.

 

I still want Kevin Love on this team next to Dwight. We'd just have to have superb defenders at the 3 and 1. Ariza is still good enough 3 and D but i don't think Bev can get it done anymore. Oh well, no way we could get love without involving Dwight in the trade.

 

I'd take him too. He's bad at defense but he's still a great player. Barkley only played defense in small spurts. He won MVP.

 

Any chance Cleveland would pull the trigger on trading him? If I'm Cleveland I would call up Boston to see if they would bite.

 

Love also doesn't get the, for lack of a better word, love from the media either. He isn't regarded as the top SG and potential MVP like Harden was last year.

Also, Harden's D is NOT just terrible in transition. It's even worse in the half-court. He doesn't watch his man. He just plays in no mans land.

 

He was a media darling at Minnesota. There were constant comparisons to him vs Griffin as the best new hopes for big men.

 

I don't get it. Just because one all star player is a bad defender, it is ok for Harden to be a bad defender? And we should no longer criticize his defense?

So since Kevin Love isn't great at post up, then forget it, let's not talk anything about Dwight's post up game. Because, come on, look at Kevin Love...

 

You're preaching to the choir...I'm sure we'd all love to end the jokes, but the rest of the nation doesn't like him.

And kevin Love looks like he's just learning how to walk, when he plays defense..

 

The same thing happened with Chris Bosh. Chris Bosh was regarded as one of the top PFs too until he teamed up with Lebron in Miami and got overshadowed when he was no longer the man.

But as far as the lack criticism on Love's lack of defense go, I say it's the race card. He gets a pass because he's a tall white guy and therefore is expected to be slow and not athletic enough to be a good defender. You ever see the media really bash Dirk over poor defense either?

 

I think you look at it the wrong way all together. Why are you trying to find things to be mad about? There is no such thing as a perfect basketball player, much less a team of perfect basketball players.

Players, for the most part, are who they are. It makes little sense to get mad when they are not something else.

You embrace guys like Harden and Love for what they bring, not for they don't.

They both bring elite skills that other guys can't (Harden elite offense, Love elite rebounding), and then supplement them with role players which can cover the warts. That is team building.

When I watch Harden, his biggest issue, in my opinion, are his physical limitations. He is clearly not a physical specimen like the Lebron's and Westbrooks. He doesn't have this endless inner energy to draw from like those guys, in my opinion, because he just isn't built that way. I see the defensive lapses, and lazy effort on defense. I can also see when he makes a concerted effort of defense and how much it affects his offensive game...ie....it suffers quite a bit. I understand this, I can rationalize this.

So, I ask myself, what do I want here? Do I want average defender and average offensive player, or do I want one of the best offensive players in the league who has frustrating defensive lapses?

And this isn't some special treatment for Harden. I never got mad at Beverley, or Ariza, or Battier, or Hayes because they were frustratingly bad offensive players, because I recognize their contributions on defense.

Players are what they are. To pitch fits about it endlessly is so tiresome.

 

FIFY.

 

Harden and Love brings A LOT of entertainment on both end of the court.

I love watching Harden and Love guarding...NO ONE