What did Timberwolves All-Star Kevin Love do during the NBA lockout? He worked on his game, cut 20 pounds, and improved his three-point shot.
Last year he was the NBA’s Most Improved Player, averaging 20.2 points, leading the league in rebounding with 15.2 per game, and becoming the first player since Moses Malone in 1982-83 to average 20 points and 15 boards a game. He helped Team USA win the gold in the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
His rebound average was the highest in the league since Ben Wallace of Detroit in 2002-03. He has proven to me, a 34-year veteran columnist and the only reporter in this state to annually cover the NBA All-Star game and Finals each year, that he has ascended to NBA superstardom.
These are the names of the 2012 NBA All-Star starters: for the East, Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade; for the West, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Andrew Bynum and Blake Griffin.
Love was selected to his second All-Star appearance this year. However, he is the only player in the NBA averaging in the top five in both scoring and rebounding. He is fourth in scoring with 25.5 per game, second in rebounding with 13.8, and his team, the Timberwolves, suddenly under first-year Head Coach Rick Adelman has become a playoff contender.
Love just happens to be 3-0 vs. Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers. Why? “I’m not sure,” said Griffin. “They’ve done a good job of making plays down the stretch against us. You have to give them credit for that.”
At 21-21 with 24 games left as of March 12, Love and the Timberwolves have a shot. The team lost its buzz when prized star rookie point guard Ricky Rubio went down for the season last Friday with just 16 seconds left in the game. Rubio tore his left ACL in the 105-102 loss to the Lakers.
The Timberwolves now face their toughest stretch of the year, and Love will be leaned on heavily with nine of the team’s next 10 games away from Target Center. Adelman is one of the league’s top 10 coaches all-time. He has stood the rugged test of time in the NBA, winning 966 games with 637 losses over 21 seasons.
This is the fifth NBA team he has coached, guiding three to the playoffs: Portland, Sacramento and Houston. Eleven times Adelman has won 50 games or more, including 63-19 at Portland in 1990-91 and 61-21 in 2001-02 at Sacramento. His playoff record is 79-78.
So the leadership is in place with Love, who sets the tone and seems to get better every game, one of the most consistently dominant players in the league. And Coach Adeleman has been there and done that before. The Timberwolves average scoring about 97.7 points per game and allow 96.6 each game — that’s the first time this team has scored more than they allow since the days of Kevin Garnett.
So buckle up. With just 24 games left, they will have to win on the road, a tough test, needing 15 of the last 24 on the road where they are a solid 9-9.
Fitz Notes & Quotes
Superstar Kobe Bryant, five-time NBA champion, talked to me last Friday in Minneapolis about his milestone 29,000th career point in the 105-102 win over the Timberwolves — their 18th straight win over the Timberwolves. “A lot of great shot selection,” said Kobe.
Bryant was obviously right when he said he has no rival. Magic Johnson had Larry Bird. Kobe has had no one that has been comparable from the standpoint of winning championships. Tim Duncan has won four, but he is not a guard like Wade, James, Durant, etc.
What makes playing Love so tough compared to other guys? “He’s a good rebounder,” Griffin said, “so you have to always make sure you’re on him and he’s accounted for when he gets hot like that. It’s tough to stop a great player like that. Every player is different.”
Le Bron James on the Timberwolves: “They have some good talent, and they play good together.”
The Chicago Bulls are an NBA-best 34-9 led by NBA 2011 MVP star Derrick Rose. “My basketball I Q is higher,” said Rose. “I’m more comfortable. I’m learning the game, and it is slowing up for me. It comes with picking my spots, when to take off or when to hold back, especially being a point guard. They told me the first couple of years to shoot the ball more. I know how to pick my spots now.”
Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, and on WDGY-AM 740 Monday-Friday at 12:17 pm and 4:17 pm; he also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2), and you can follow him on Twitter at FitzBeatSr. Larry welcomes reader responses to info@larry-fitzgerald.com, or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com.
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