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Rookie Kevin Love hopes for a quick adjustment to the NBA.
Minnesota is banking on the theory it was Cupid, not the Joker, who shot them with an arrow late one June evening on NBA Draft night this summer, when the Timberwolves traded their new No. 1 draft pick O.J. Mayo (and others) to Memphis for Kevin Love and Mike Miller.
In Mayo, the Wolves dealt a playmaker with star potential to the Grizzlies for Love, a 6-10 big man with great hands and extraordinary passing skills for an inside player who can hit a fair share of outside shots. In Love, the Wolves also landed a player just one basketball season removed from Lake Oswego High School in Oregon. Last year, Love was an All-American at UCLA, where he led the Bruins to the Final Four.
“It didn’t make sense to go back,” Love said. “I wish I could have, just because UCLA was such a great place, but the NBA was always my dream. I didn’t want to risk getting hurt. I knew I was a top 10 pick, so it just seemed right.”
Love’s family ties are noteworthy. On a musical side note, his father, Stan, is the brother of Beach Boys’ singer Mike Love, and the first cousin of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson. On the athletic front, his aunt is Kathleen McCartney Hearst, who won the women’s Ironman Triathlon in 1982 and is a member of the U.S. Triathlon Hall of Fame.
Love’s dad, Stan, played in the NBA. Kevin Love’s middle name is Wesley, in honor of Wes Unseld, the former Washington Bullets star. Unseld was one of Stan Love’s teammates in the NBA. Incidentally, Unseld was an undersized big man who became an NBA legend for doing more with less and possessing great passing ability.
“K.L. (Love) will make his own name and establish his own identity,” former UCLA Bruin Jason Kapono said. “But his outlet pass does remind me a lot of people of Wes Unseld. K.L. is going to be a player. The kid can flat-out shoot the basketball and he’s a great kid.”
Even though he is young — Love turned 20 years old in September — he knows that expectations are huge for his rookie season at Target Center.
“I don’t want to be looked at as just a rookie,” Love said. “I want to be a guy that can come out and thrive on the opportunity for minutes and get rebounds, know the defensive spots and know the plays. I also want to be known as a good locker room guy and a good community guy as well.”
“I just turned 20 years old, and these guys aren’t necessarily my peers,” said Love. “So I’m just adjusting to the defensive aspects of the game, and also learning the new sets, learning to play with these guys because I haven’t played with them (much). That’s been the biggest adjustment — just getting out there.”
What is most intriguing to the Timberwolves brass is the inside combination possibilities with Love and center Al Jefferson. Last year, in his first season with the Wolves, Jefferson played all 82 games, averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds. The thinking is that the addition of Love to the Wolves’ front court will offer the offense a formidable 1-2 punch.
“When Al [Jefferson] is being guarded by the big man, he’ll be able to take that other defender in the post,” Wolves coach Randy Wittman said. “I’m not worried about Kevin being able to score.”
There are challenges on the defense end of the court, too.
“I’m going to have to learn to play team-defense so that when Al and I are on the floor together, we can guard guys that may be quicker or bigger than us,” Love said. “That’s going to take a lot of adjusting for me. I’m going to have to play a lot smarter than I did in college.”
Jefferson is excited to play with Love. “The first time I met Kevin, the first thing he said to me is, ‘You’re going to love playing with me,’“ Jefferson said.
Other teammates are impressed as well.
“One thing about Kevin that will make things easier for him is that he understands basketball very well,” teammate Mike Miller said. “He’s smart enough to adjust to the talent, size and speed of the NBA.”
Said Rashad McCants: “Kevin’s really underrated right now. I think they think of him as being undersized and one of those guys that just has to go in there and bang. But Kevin has a very good finesse game where he can step out and handle the ball and shoot the three. I’m very impressed.”
The learning curve will be steep for Love. It is worth repeating: He is only 20 years old. About sixteen months ago this kid was pondering prom, not professional basketball. But Wittman likes what he already sees from the budding rookie, as well as Miller, the polished veteran in the backcourt who was the other part of the Love deal. While the Wolves admittedly are uncertain about Love’s progression rate, they know what they have in Miller. The combination was too good to pass up on draft night when the trade possibilities were laid on the table.
“We needed a guy like Mike to spread the floor because of Al’s presence in the post and we wanted a guy like Kevin that has the ability to make a face-up jumpshot and his ability to pass,” Wolves coach Randy Wittman said. “What (Love) brings on to the floor, it’s hard to teach. Being at the right spot at the right time, those types of things. He has a knack for those things.”
Love has won state championship at the high school level. He experienced quick success in college as well during his one season at UCLA. While he will the first to tell you that this year will be a learning experience first and foremost, there is a desire burning deep inside to make sure history will show the skeptics they were incorrect.
“If there are doubters, I’m going to try my best to prove them wrong,” Love said. “If there are high expectations, I’m going to try to prove them right and then some. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
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Minnesota is banking on the theory it was Cupid, not the Joker, who shot them with an arrow late one June evening on NBA Draft night this summer, when the Timberwolves traded their new No. 1 draft pick O.J. Mayo (and others) to Memphis for Kevin Love and Mike Miller.
In Mayo, the Wolves dealt a playmaker with star potential to the Grizzlies for Love, a 6-10 big man with great hands and extraordinary passing skills for an inside player who can hit a fair share of outside shots. In Love, the Wolves also landed a player just one basketball season removed from Lake Oswego High School in Oregon. Last year, Love was an All-American at UCLA, where he led the Bruins to the Final Four.
“It didn’t make sense to go back,” Love said. “I wish I could have, just because UCLA was such a great place, but the NBA was always my dream. I didn’t want to risk getting hurt. I knew I was a top 10 pick, so it just seemed right.”
Love’s family ties are noteworthy. On a musical side note, his father, Stan, is the brother of Beach Boys’ singer Mike Love, and the first cousin of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson. On the athletic front, his aunt is Kathleen McCartney Hearst, who won the women’s Ironman Triathlon in 1982 and is a member of the U.S. Triathlon Hall of Fame.
Love’s dad, Stan, played in the NBA. Kevin Love’s middle name is Wesley, in honor of Wes Unseld, the former Washington Bullets star. Unseld was one of Stan Love’s teammates in the NBA. Incidentally, Unseld was an undersized big man who became an NBA legend for doing more with less and possessing great passing ability.
“K.L. (Love) will make his own name and establish his own identity,” former UCLA Bruin Jason Kapono said. “But his outlet pass does remind me a lot of people of Wes Unseld. K.L. is going to be a player. The kid can flat-out shoot the basketball and he’s a great kid.”
Even though he is young — Love turned 20 years old in September — he knows that expectations are huge for his rookie season at Target Center.
“I don’t want to be looked at as just a rookie,” Love said. “I want to be a guy that can come out and thrive on the opportunity for minutes and get rebounds, know the defensive spots and know the plays. I also want to be known as a good locker room guy and a good community guy as well.” “I just turned 20 years old, and these guys aren’t necessarily my peers,” said Love. “So I’m just adjusting to the defensive aspects of the game, and also learning the new sets, learning to play with these guys because I haven’t played with them (much). That’s been the biggest adjustment — just getting out there.”
What is most intriguing to the Timberwolves brass is the inside combination possibilities with Love and center Al Jefferson. Last year, in his first season with the Wolves, Jefferson played all 82 games, averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds. The thinking is that the addition of Love to the Wolves’ front court will offer the offense a formidable 1-2 punch.
“When Al [Jefferson] is being guarded by the big man, he’ll be able to take that other defender in the post,” Wolves coach Randy Wittman said. “I’m not worried about Kevin being able to score.”
There are challenges on the defense end of the court, too.
“I’m going to have to learn to play team-defense so that when Al and I are on the floor together, we can guard guys that may be quicker or bigger than us,” Love said. “That’s going to take a lot of adjusting for me. I’m going to have to play a lot smarter than I did in college.”
Jefferson is excited to play with Love. “The first time I met Kevin, the first thing he said to me is, ‘You’re going to love playing with me,’“ Jefferson said.
Other teammates are impressed as well.
“One thing about Kevin that will make things easier for him is that he understands basketball very well,” teammate Mike Miller said. “He’s smart enough to adjust to the talent, size and speed of the NBA.”
Said Rashad McCants: “Kevin’s really underrated right now. I think they think of him as being undersized and one of those guys that just has to go in there and bang. But Kevin has a very good finesse game where he can step out and handle the ball and shoot the three. I’m very impressed.” The learning curve will be steep for Love. It is worth repeating: He is only 20 years old. About sixteen months ago this kid was pondering prom, not professional basketball. But Wittman likes what he already sees from the budding rookie, as well as Miller, the polished veteran in the backcourt who was the other part of the Love deal. While the Wolves admittedly are uncertain about Love’s progression rate, they know what they have in Miller. The combination was too good to pass up on draft night when the trade possibilities were laid on the table.
“We needed a guy like Mike to spread the floor because of Al’s presence in the post and we wanted a guy like Kevin that has the ability to make a face-up jumpshot and his ability to pass,” Wolves coach Randy Wittman said. “What (Love) brings on to the floor, it’s hard to teach. Being at the right spot at the right time, those types of things. He has a knack for those things.”
Love has won state championship at the high school level. He experienced quick success in college as well during his one season at UCLA. While he will the first to tell you that this year will be a learning experience first and foremost, there is a desire burning deep inside to make sure history will show the skeptics they were incorrect.
“If there are doubters, I’m going to try my best to prove them wrong,” Love said. “If there are high expectations, I’m going to try to prove them right and then some. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
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