Kevin Love, Timberwolves rebuilding after trade
MINNEAPOLIS – LeBron James didn't have to wait.
The game was over. The Cleveland Cavaliers had won their 10th consecutive game, beating Minnesota 106-90, pulling away with James scoring 16 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter. The victory finished a stretch of four games in five nights for the Cavs, and James was worn out. But James had one more play to make.
James stood near the far basket at the Target Center with two Cavs employees, hands on hips, patiently waiting for teammate Kevin Love, the former Timberwolf, to finish a radio interview. Love's stressful return to the city he called home for six seasons ended successfully with Love grabbing 17 rebounds to go with 14 points, and James wanted to show his appreciation.
They clasped hands and hugged briefly under the basket, then headed down the tunnel to the locker room together.
"It was all our responsibility as his teammates and his brothers to protect him tonight," James said. "We didn't know what to expect, but he could lean on us throughout everything that happened today. For us, we had to go out and help him get a win."
Love heard mixed boos and cheers when introduced, then steady boos whenever he touched the ball the first three quarters. The reaction wasn't unexpected.
When Love threatened to opt out of his contract next summer -- a controversial clause stemming from former Wolves basketball operations chief David Kahn's refusal to give Love a maximum five-year extension in 2012 – the Wolves had little choice but to trade him. The three-team deal last August landed the Wolves overall No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins from the Cavs, the centerpiece to yet another rebuilding effort for a franchise that last made the playoffs in 2004.
Minnesota won't see postseason this season. It has the NBA's worst record at 8-40, which took some doing in a league where Philadelphia started 0-17 -- a streak that ended against the Wolves -- and the Knicks slog through an historically abysmal season. Injuries, notably Ricky Rubio's badly sprained right ankle, haven't helped. Rubio is finally back in the lineup after missing 42 games.
The 19-year-old Wiggins provides one thin ray of hope that the Wolves might have gotten value for Love. His 33 points in that game against Cleveland tied the Wolves record for a teenager shared by Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury. Wiggins and James guarded each other most of the night, and though Wiggins kept Minnesota in the game with a 23-point first half, James schooled him at crunch time.
"In this league, it's a no-mercy league," Wiggins said. "It's kill or be killed."
Others were more complimentary. James called Wiggins "a great talent." Minnesota Coach Flip Saunders, who orchestrated the Love trade, said, "He showed tonight he's got the potential to be a superstar in this league." And Wolves veteran guard Kevin Martin added, "He's going to be a special player. We've seen that since Day One, and over this past month he's been unbelievable. He took the challenge tonight and he succeeded."
Love's skill was easy to discern with the Wolves as the best player on a bad team. He led the league in rebounding in 2010-11, averaged better than 20 points per game three times and played in three All-Star Games, last season's as a starter. His value, and worth, may be tougher to determine in Cleveland with better players around him.
While Love still averages a double-double (17.1 points, 10.4 rebounds), his scoring, rebounding, overall and 3-point shooting percentages are all down from last year. He has gone from being a star to a talented support player for a team that last month added guards Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith from the Knicks and center Timofey Mozgov from Denver. The Cavs took off, winning 11 in a row after Monday's 97-84 win against Philadelphia, once James returned from left knee and lower back strains.
Cavs first-year Coach David Blatt, who drew criticism last month for saying Love wasn't a max player yet – a reference to Love's contract, Blatt later said, not his ability – praised Love for fitting in.
"He's averaging a double-double," Blatt said. "If you want to compare him to last year's numbers, maybe there's a difference. But that is still pretty good production for anyone, anywhere. He's doing that on a team where there are other players with the same type of capability in one respect or another. I think what he's doing is actually quite special.
"And I also think Kevin has been asked to do things here is that maybe in the past he wasn't asked to do because of the load on him offensively. He's really, really improved and embraced his defensive role on the team as well. I see that as a big upgrade, perhaps, on his play from before, which by all means was outstanding."
Said Love: "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't an adjustment. I'm trying to find different ways to be as efficient as possible. It's something I prided myself on here. There are different ways for me to affect the game. I'm still figuring that out on this team. We still have 35-plus games left. That will continue to evolve and change and get better."
Love struggled to pinpoint the best way to judge his season. "I don't know how to answer that. I don't really know," he said. "I came to the Cavaliers to win basketball games, and we're doing that now."