Kevin Love 2008 NBA Draft Prospect
March 24, 2008 by Stephen Kersey
Filed under NBA Draft Prospects, NFL Player Analysis
While the UCLA Bruins have great guard play, Kevin Love is the player on the team that makes UCLA a legitimate championship contender. Love is a bruising low post player with a myriad of uniqueness skills.
NBA scouts have had mixed opinions about how well Love will excel on the NBA level. Some scouts point to his average athleticism and average foot-speed as reasons why he may flop in the NBA. Other NBA scouts think his basketball IQ and fundamental skills will allow him to play at any level.
Love’s most unique skill may be his outlet pass. When he gets the pall, he’s always looking to throw it ahead to ignite a break. His outlet pass skill would be extremely useful in the NBA on a team that likes to run and gun.
As a freshman, he’s averaging 20 points, ten rebound and over five blocks in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. With those type of numbers and all the pub he has gotten the entire season, it’s difficult imagining Love not entering the 2008 NBA draft. If he enters, he’s likely a lottery pick who will be drafted between 5th and 10th.
Check out this Kevin Love video from the NCAA tournament:
Kevin Love is going to be a bust in the NBA. Simply put, he doesn’t have the athletic ability to match up with opposing players at the next level. Could you imagine him trying to check Dwight Howard or Amare Stoudemire? At best he will end up like Sean May out of UNC. Sorry Kevin, but it appears the glory days are over after UCLA so I would recommend staying all 4 years.
Kevin Love will be a solid NBA player, perhaps a star. Larry Bird was considered slow afoot and couldn’t jump. Bill Laimbeer and Wes Uneld the same. Love has great strength, hands, and a fundamental feel for the game. He is succeeding right now against top-flight athletes. Amare Stoudamire? You mean that guy who disappears in the big games and the playoffs?
I hate the NBA because all they ever do is raid colleges of their best talent. I WILL not even watch an NBA game and there are many people who feel the same way.
Stoudemire may disappear occasionally in big games but that doesn’t change the fact Kevin Love wouldn’t be able to match up with a player like him. It will be hard to become an NBA star when he doesn’t match up with other players of his position. Oh, and if you want to talk about disappearing during big games, where was Love today against Memphis?
The consensus is that he can’t run, leap and is not very quick. Scouts believe he will have trouble guarding a power forward and definitly not a center. He is a “tweener”. His assets are strength, great hands and rebounding. I see him as a reserve that is used in certain scenarios getting 15 to 20 minutes a game.
Love will be a future role player in the NBA he’s fundamental sound but doesn’t have the athleticism to keep up with faster and stronger forwards in the league
Kevin Love will be a solid player in the NBA. He will have trouble with the top flight power forwards because he lacks foot speed, but his BB IQ is off the charts and he plays hard EVERYNIGHT! He will be a poor mans Buck Williams:15pts,9reb,4assista a game for 12 years. solid citizen, 6th man.
I think Love is a player who will surprise at any level, including the next. He makes up for his deficiencies with his BB IQ. However, I hope he stays all four years. I don’t watch the NBA because of their stealing college players and because of the 23 second clock,