Is Kevin Love the next Larry Bird

[jumanji]

Now that i have everyone's attention with the Larry Bird comparison a couple of things stood out watching Love play against Texas A&M. The guys just keeps getting better and better, i thought at the beginning of the year he wasnt that great at grabbing rebounds or even attempting to block a shot,now he is a force in both departments. He has poise that really you dont see from too many people at any level and you dont see any dropoff in his game from start to finish.

Watching him play against Deandre Jordan sort of made me think about all the mock drafts that have been touting Jordan so high and knocking Love for his lack of size/speed or whatever, there was no comparison between the two. I'm not convinced Kevin Love isnt going to find a way to be a great player at the next level.

Lastly in bringing up Larry Bird's name wasnt he supposedly too small to play inside, too slow to keep up with superior athletes and just a guy who was a great college player but.........

[BMF Jet Jaguar]

ucla got alot of calls that game, and on the last play sloan was fouled twice, but they wernt going to call that at pretty much a home game

and no, love is not the next larry bird.

[UGA Hayes]

I like Love's pro potential alot, but I thought the game was something of an anomaly as far as the blocks. 3-4 of them were fouls although 3 of them were quite impressive.

I agree with the above poster on that last play. This is why I don't watch college ball, everything about it screams used cars salesman. I just can't tolerate the extent to wich the announcers cover for the officials. NBA announcers cover for officials but nowhere near the extent of college guys, esp on that last play where Sloan got raked acreoss both arms and noone said a peep about it.

[jumanji]

ucla got alot of calls that game, and on the last play sloan was fouled twice, but they wernt going to call that at pretty much a home game

and no, love is not the next larry bird.

The fouls were 16-15 for UCLA, i actually didnt see the last play so i will defer to you and others but it was basically a home game. Officiating has nothing to do with this post really.

[Ruzious]

He's not the next Larry Bird, but he's a lot better than the folks who run the mock drafts and have been ranking him in the low teens think. If he's not a top 10 pick, I'll be surprised.

[ponder276]

I absolutely love Kevin Love in college, but the logical part of my brain says "how many 6'8"-6'9" power forwards without great athleticism or a great wingspan become solid NBA starters?" Who knows, maybe he can be a Carlos Boozer type player, but I'd say the odds are against him.
As for him dominating DeAndre Jordan, it's starting to look like Jordan is just massively overrated.

[jumanji]

I absolutely love Kevin Love in college, but the logical part of my brain says "how many 6'8"-6'9" power forwards without great athleticism or a great wingspan become solid NBA starters?" Who knows, maybe he can be a Carlos Boozer type player, but I'd say the odds are against him.
As for him dominating DeAndre Jordan, it's starting to look like Jordan is just massively overrated.

Good post, i think it would be good for Love to end up with a team with a Dwight Howard,Kevin Garnett or a Greg Oden to play off. That would probably apply to most i guess.

[BigSlam]

He'd be pretty amazing on the Sixers next to Dalembert and hitting Iggy, Young and Carney with the outlet pass as they leak out on the break.

Got to trim down and cut the puppy fat though so he doesn't huff and puff so much during a game.

[Showtime:Part2]

i see no reason why he couldn't be the next chris webber with a little bit of work. his athleticism is wayyyyyyyyyyyy underrated. did anyone not see him jump through the roof to block deandre jordan's shot? texas a&m had a huge lineup, guys that were taller and heavier than him, and he outworked them all.

[jumanji]

He'd be pretty amazing on the Sixers next to Dalembert and hitting Iggy, Young and Carney with the outlet pass as they leak out on the break.

Got to trim down and cut the puppy fat though so he doesn't huff and puff so much during a game.

He would look good with the Sixers,not sure about the huffing and puffing, he actually gets stronger down the stretch.

[ponder276]

Another vote from me for Love being a great fit on the Sixers.

[_BBIB_]

Larry Bird is one of the greatest basketball players of all-time.

Kevin Love will be closer to Sue Bird than Larry

[ClipperDomination]

i see no reason why he couldn't be the next chris webber with a little bit of work. his athleticism is wayyyyyyyyyyyy underrated. did anyone not see him jump through the roof to block deandre jordan's shot? texas a&m had a huge lineup, guys that were taller and heavier than him, and he outworked them all.

Chris Webber is a much more accurate comparison than Larry Bird.

He has proved throughout the season that he can guard guys with a size advantage (Brooke Lopez, Aaron Baynes, Marty Leunen, Jon Brockman, James Gist, Jordan Hill, Jeff Pendergraph, etc.) on a daily basis. In the NBA, it will be a tougher job to do so, but he will be fine against a guy who only has a couple inches on him.

His IQ is the best part of his game. He never commits a dumb mistake on the court. He can shoot the ball from outside. He loves to use the glass when he can. His post skills are great too.

I see a Chris Webber comparison definitely being accurate. Once Love improves his weight/conditioning problems, he may become a better version of Webber.

[ponder276]

-= original quote snipped =-



Chris Webber is a much more accurate comparison than Larry Bird.

He has proved throughout the season that he can guard guys with a size advantage (Brooke Lopez, Aaron Baynes, Marty Leunen, Jon Brockman, James Gist, Jordan Hill, Jeff Pendergraph, etc.) on a daily basis. In the NBA, it will be a tougher job to do so, but he will be fine against a guy who only has a couple inches on him.

His IQ is the best part of his game. He never commits a dumb mistake on the court. He can shoot the ball from outside. He loves to use the glass when he can. His post skills are great too.

I see a Chris Webber comparison definitely being accurate. Once Love improves his weight/conditioning problems, he may become a better version of Webber.

Chris Webber put up 9 consecutive seasons with 20+ ppg (and had 9.5+ rpg in 8 of those seasons, and at least 3.8 apg in all of those seasons), and had a peak year of 27.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.7 bpg and 1.3 spg. He won ROY, and was a 5-time all-star, even with his injury problems. There is zero chance that Kevin Love will become a better version of Chris Webber.

[PaKwAn]

-= original quote snipped =-



Chris Webber is a much more accurate comparison than Larry Bird.

He has proved throughout the season that he can guard guys with a size advantage (Brooke Lopez, Aaron Baynes, Marty Leunen, Jon Brockman, James Gist, Jordan Hill, Jeff Pendergraph, etc.) on a daily basis. In the NBA, it will be a tougher job to do so, but he will be fine against a guy who only has a couple inches on him.

His IQ is the best part of his game. He never commits a dumb mistake on the court. He can shoot the ball from outside. He loves to use the glass when he can. His post skills are great too.

I see a Chris Webber comparison definitely being accurate. Once Love improves his weight/conditioning problems, he may become a better version of Webber.

Maybe the post injury Webber where he was not athletic anymore.....The prime Webber was very athletic and can run fastbreaks with his ability..

[DanTown8587]

Everyone is nuts, Larry Bird was a top 10 player EVER in this league and Webber is a top PF to play this game. I mean, put Webber against Love when Webber was in school at Michigan and love would get dominated. Webber had terrible knee problems so people remember the last five years or so instead of his GS days and early Sacramento days. I think Love would be a solid pro in the league, but stop comparing him to guys way above his class level. And if I hear ONE MORE white guy who is the next Larry Bird I am gonna vomit. I mean, wasn't it two years ago when people where wetting themselves over Adam "I now look like an ugly woman" Morrison and saying he was the next Bird?

[RebelSun]

Morrison was the next Bird, also.

Love is a hell of a lot closer to Nick Collison than to Bird.

[surflawyer]

Webber>Love>Haslem

[ClipperEric]

How about the next Brad Miller?

Don't laugh, Brad Miller made the All Star team a couple of times.

He's big, strong guy who can shoot midrange shots all day. I think Love will be better than Miller because he's more athletic, at least now that he's young.

I hope he stays in college 1 more year though.

[Ruzious]

There are so many bad comparisons in this thread that I might as well add another one. Wes Unseld - for the great outlet pass and under-heightedness. Then again, Love is a much better outside shooter and Unseld was stronger. Let's face it, there is no good comparison to Love. He's a new mold.