Profile
Adam Stanco is the co-founder and senior writer for NaismithLives.com and can be reached at adamstanco@naismithlives.com.
Profile
Adam Stanco is the co-founder and senior writer for NaismithLives.com and can be reached at adamstanco@naismithlives.com.
Thabeet the beast
How is Thabeet not ranked in the top 10? He will likely be the most improved player in the big east this year. He is still raw I know, but sky is the limit for this kids potential.
Kevin Love
How is the guy not in the top ten for freshman? I mean, you gotta take out Koufos and at least put Love in the top ten. He's a BEAST!
Why I've Got No Love for Love...
I know everyone loves Kevin Love (most notably the national media). He's a star on UCLA, he throws pretty outlet passes, and his uncle is from the Beach Boys. But Love is simply not one of the best NBA prospects from the freshman class.
Performing well as a post player in college and being an NBA star are two separate entities. Don't believe me? Ask Lawrence Roberts. Or Chris Mihm. Maybe Wayne Simien or Marcus Fizer wants to weigh in.
The skill requirements are just different at the next level. One predictor of success is how players perform when their opponents are bigger and more athletic. In the NBA, there is always someone bigger and more athletic. Love hasn't really faced anyone like that while he's put up the numbers he has recently. He is a better prospect than Hansbrough and he's running neck and neck with Koufos, but he still has a lot to prove against elite bigs.
Vendetta
Im sorry but to categorize Kevin Love in the same breath as Marcus Fizer and Wayne Simien screams that you just simply haven't liked his, for lack of a better comparison, 45-year-old-former-D3-power-forward-playing-against-kids-in-braces playing style. Sure, Love won't be able to add as much to a half court grind it out team like the Spurs, but its not like many teams are getting on board to play that style in the nba.
Kevin Love has turned UCLA into a team without an identity with the departure of Afflalo and Farmar in past years and taken a extremely overrated Darren Collinson, yeah i said it, and a blooming Russel Westbrook and kept this string of Final 4 appearances in good hopes. Love can offer a team with a young run and gun style, lets say the sixers, exactly what they need. Heres why:
1) Love has the ability to rebound effectively enough to not have to splurge on an overrated power forward and handicap themselves salary cap for years to come.
2) Despite what some may think Kevin Love does have a solid mid range game allowing the lane to open up for the more slashing styles of the athletic combo guards and forwards in todays nba.
3) You know what your getting with Love, Id take him over Koufus in a heartbeat, hell, I might even give him the nod over DeAndre Jordan. If were going to talk about taking Jordan in the top 5 lets look at it. Jordan has yet to do anything to make a fuss about at A&M, meanwhile, Bynum, who had very comparable measurables at his age, has become a solid NBA force in a few seasons in the NBA. You think DeAndre Jordan, who has had trouble against the big men of teams like Baylor, deserves all the hype?
4) Id take a Ben Howland, John Wooden, Pac-10 breeding over the Big 10 any day of the week.
Kevin love will be a perrenial double double Force in the nba. Koufus and Jordan wont make their names known in the NBA for years in the NBA... if they do at all.
Book it.