Peter Vecsey
HOOP DU JOUR
When Kevin Love was in high school, numerous people tended to devalue his accomplishments, probably because he complied with gravity and didn’t quite qualify as a gymnast or a contortionist.
His father, Stan, a 5-year peripheral player for the Bullets, Lakers and ABA Spurs in the early ’70s, always would say, “You can take your guy if you have it figured out, and I will take Kevin ... and let’s see where we are at the end of the day.”
That incandescent day has dawned … on the industrial strength of a staggering aptitude, acumen, ferocity and fervor, characteristics only the greats feature.
Love is all that, with payback. Years of being underestimated by talent scouts, his coaches and opponents provoked him to play with a manhole cover on his shoulder, and guaranteed perennial progress.
Not since Bob Pettit, Bob McAdoo and Elgin Baylor, unconscionably always overlooked by the un-conscientious, has a forward erected the kind of flamboyant figures Love is amassing.
Baylor averaged 34.8 points and 19.8 rebounds for the 1960-61 season, 38.3 and 18.8 the next, and 34 and 14.3 before irreparably damaging his knee 48 games into 1962-63. He “plunged” to 26 and 12 the subsequent seven.
Love averaged 20.2 points and a NBA-leading 15.2 rebounds for the Timberwolves last season, his third in the league. His current numbers are 25.8 and 13.8, a superior standard overlapped during a recent four-day, three-victory stretch — 110 points and 43 rebounds, before back spasms sidelined him for Friday’s 105-102 loss to the Lakers.
That statistical outburst, coinciding with the 21-21 Wolves’ promising playoff pursuit — ostensibly devastated by Ricky Rubio’s season-ending torn left ACL — propelled Love into MVP conversation previously concentrated on Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, Tony Parker, LeBron James and Dwight Howard.
Except for Kevin McHale, how many other NBA executives believed Love deserved to be drafted as high as No. 5? Or truly felt he owned a limitless upside?
Pat Riley certainly didn’t sense this tsunami coming. In the spring of 2008, the Heat field general worked out Love in West Los Angeles, imploring him to keep the private session on the down low.
Admittedly blown away by what he saw, Padre Riles told Love, “I’m going to figure out a way to draft you.”
The 19-year-old replied, “That’s easy, Mr. Riley, you have the second pick in the draft.”
Instead, the knowing nod went to Michael Beasley, whose juvenile behavior, hopscotch of six high schools, delinquent defense, outlandish auto expenditures and reputation as a joker, a smoker and a midnight toker was well-known and hard-earned.
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Lakers, Kevin Love, Elgin Baylor, ABA Spurs, Bob Pettit, Kevin McHale, Kevin Durant, Bob McAdoo, NBA, Tony Parker, Derrick Rose, Bullets
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