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Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:16 am
by Klomp
LAS VEGAS -- Timberwolves boss David Kahn said he considers Tuesday's trade that sent Al Jefferson to Utah for draft picks confirmation of his faith and belief in third-year forward Kevin Love.
Thing is, the acquisition of Miami forward Michael Beasley on Monday still leaves the Wolves with two natural power forwards and only one starting spot at that position.
"Hopefully, he wants to play small forward and not power forward so we can be out there together," Love said, perhaps only half jokingly.
Kahn said he wants coach Kurt Rambis to find "creative and imaginative" ways for two of the first five players selected in the 2008 draft to play together for significant minutes each game next season. But he also admitted there probably will be a competitive battle for the starting power forward job this fall.
Love very reluctantly accepted a sixth-man role for the final two-plus months of last season, but sometimes not without moping. That role was raised again at an exit meeting he had with Rambis after the season ended in April.
"Kurt mentioned, 'Don't get so caught up in being a sixth man,'" Love said. "I feel like I'm a starter. I want to be a starter. Sixth man is and will be kind of hard for me to accept on this team. If this was the Lakers and Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum were in front of me, it'd be different.
"We're young and inexperienced. It's tough to see where we're headed. If I get the minutes, I'll always be productive. I just want to win. I want to help win in the Western Conference. We'll see what happens the rest of the offseason. Ask me in four or five months."
Kahn said he never forgets Love is 21.
"Kevin is very impatient, and I'm OK with that," Kahn said. "I was just as impatient at his age, and beyond. His impatience is a good thing because it signals an ambition. He wants everything to happen now.
"It might not happen right now, but it's going to happen for him."
http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/98384449.html
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:28 am
by Mcfale313
Milicic (30) / Pekovic (18)
Love (30) / Beasley (16)/ Hollins (2)
Beasley (14) / Webster (12) / Brewer (20) / Hayward (2)
Johnson (28) / Webster (18)/ Ellington (2)
Flynn (30) / Ridnour (18)
it should work out...
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:29 am
by moss_is_1
Don't blame him. He should start since we trade Al. Beasley should either start at the 3 or be a super 6th man at both spots.
SG-Wesley Johnson-Brewer
SF-Beasley-Webster
PF-Love-Beasley
Pretty weird to think that now PF is our least overloaded spot.
We have 3 players at every position except pf(counting Rubio's rights).
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:30 am
by Steve_Holiday
Kevin Love is strange in his interviews. At times, saying his mind (I think?), then immediately backtracking. What you're left with is a muddled mess.
Reminds me of Royce White trying to convince Mike Max that he is "mentally tough."
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:31 am
by dunkonu21
Why should Beasley get more minutes than Pekovic? I think they r in direct competition for the back up pf spot.
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:33 am
by Ojmayo
Love calls all our moves. We listen to his demands.
LOVE forever!
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:37 am
by The J Rocka
dunkonu21 wrote:Why should Beasley get more minutes than Pekovic? I think they r in direct competition for the back up pf spot.
Beasley > Pek
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:40 am
by cpfsf
I kind of hope we draft Vesely just so we can have the whitest starting lineup since the Minneapolis Lakers.
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:41 am
by southern wolf
Nothing will be decided until training camp, but I think Rambo will grant him his wish, and then see how Beasley goes starting at SF.
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:43 am
by Wolves21
C-Darko/Hollins
PF-Love/Pek
SF-Beasley/Webster/Hayward
SG-Johnson/Berwer/Ellington
PF-Flynn/Ridnour
That's how I would role.I still think and always have that Beasley was a SF and not a PF.As far as Johnson goes I think he's a natural SF but can play SG if need be.I also like the idea of Beasley be our super six man ala Manu,JR Smith,Crawford....ect type of guy.But with his attuide I don't think he would want to due it.
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:43 am
by Krapinsky
dunkonu21 wrote:Why should Beasley get more minutes than Pekovic? I think they r in direct competition for the back up pf spot.
Giving Beasley the minutes would be a much better investment for our future.
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:53 am
by The J Rocka
southern wolf wrote:Nothing will be decided until training camp, but I think Rambo will grant him his wish, and then see how Beasley goes starting at SF.
Is Beasley really a 3 (can he play better there and be better than at the 4) and Johnson I don't think he has all the necessary skills to be able to play the 2 (I may be wrong, not 100)
In a perfect world:
Darko/Pek
Love/Pek
Beasley/Brewer
Johnson/Webster
Flynn/Ridnour
I just really don't see that happening even though it's our most talented players starting.
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:55 am
by dunkonu21
Assuming he behaves and doesn't whine about the weather or be a distraction. I don't assume anything with that kid, but I sure do hope!
J_Era, I agree...but we r never that lucky. We'll be lucky if one of those two can play the other position.
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:56 am
by Mcfale313
dunkonu21 wrote:Why should Beasley get more minutes than Pekovic? I think they r in direct competition for the back up pf spot.
I've seen Love for 2 seasons, I havent seen any footage of Pekovic, i need to see him first b4 awarding more minutes to him
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:57 am
by Krapinsky
Beasley can't be much worse than Gomes was defensively at the 3 spot.
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:59 am
by Frozen316
cpfsf wrote:I kind of hope we draft Vesely just so we can have the whitest starting lineup since the Minneapolis Lakers.
and Jimmer Fredette
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:29 am
by mefromthefuture
Beasley will have the starting spot by Dec.
Our line up going need more scoring and besides what Love gets off put backs.
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:31 am
by big3_8_19_21
mefromthefuture wrote:Beasley will have the starting spot by Dec.
Our line up going need more scoring and besides what Love gets off put backs.
Beasley looks like a Samoan sumo wrestler in your sig.
I like that.
that is all.
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 7:56 am
by Breakdown777
I don't get all this stuff coming from Kahn/Rambis/everyone else. I get that the 1-4 should be interchangable in our offensive, but that still leaves defense...
During the mchale days, the wolves' status quo was playing undersized slow guys in positions where they didn't fit.
Now it seems for the Kahn days, we are gearing up to play oversized athletic guys into positions that aren't natural.
Johnson is a SF (who will start at the SG, and only get about 33% of his minutes at the SF?)
Brewer is a SG (unless he put on enough mass during the offseason)
Love is a PF (who might get time at C now???)
Darko is a C (who could gaurd PF because he's quicker than Love?)
Pek is a C (who could play PF if playing with Darko, or if Love is outlet passing?)
Beasley is a FORWARD - offensively can play either spot (but on D-too small to guard PF, too slow to gaurd SF...tweeners sure are fun!)
and before all of this. Flynn could play the 2 with rubio or sessions. and now we have the same delusions with Ridnour???
This all seems very confusing.
Maybe it's Rambis' plan to confuse the oppoenents because nobody ever knows which wolf is gaurding them and which wolf they are supposed to gaurd???
Re: Love Wants to Start
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:04 am
by Winter Wonder
I am surprised to see so many putting Wes as the starting SG. Between Brewer (who improved greatly last year and is our longest tenured wolf?) and Webster (who we possibly over traded for and is a vet we need to have prove himself), I have a hard time seeing Johnson starting. At least at the beginning of the season.
Beasley, Love, Darko, and probably Flynn are all pretty easy to see starting. Wes, a bit more up in the air there. And actually, the wing(s) that picks up the offense fastest will be more likely to start opening night.