Love Not Feeling The Love From The Timberwolves?

For a team struggling to win games last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves somehow could only afford to give forward Kevin Love just 29 minutes per game.

Granted team president David Kahn made it clear during last season that all players would be given an opportunity to play, but Love is arguably the team’s best player.

In an interesting piece by John Schuhmann of NBA.com, Love talks about the lack of appreciation from the Timberwolves as compared to the team USA squad.

Love was asked Tuesday if he felt more appreciated with the U.S. Team than with the Timberwolves.

“Yes,” he responded. “Just a solid yes.”

But he was quick to clarify.

“I don’t want to come off sounding like a prima donna or sound like I’m complaining or anything,” Love said. “I just feel like, since I’ve been here, it’s really been a great team atmosphere. We feel like we have a chance to win this whole thing. I think everybody is just coming in with a great attitude and appreciating everybody as a whole, and really becoming a family.

If the first couple sentences of this blog were not clear enough, we feel Love is a great talent and has a solid point.  The Timberwolves simply can’t afford to offer such limited minutes to Love.

The logjam at the 4 position can and should be worked around with forwards Michael Beasley and newly acquired Anthony Tolliver playing multiple positions.  Beasley and Tolliver have the ability to play the 3 and can possible play the 5 in a smaller and quicker lineup.

Love makes another solid point in that article as well:

“I’m just saying in a 15-win season, last year with the Timberwolves, a lot of stuff happened…a lot of new players…we had blown up that team. Heading into this year, we need to just start becoming a family, kind of like it is here, and integrate that family atmosphere into the Timberwolves.”

Kahn can’t make it a yearly habit of signing players one year and trading them away the next.  Building a team shouldn’t mean the team has to be turned upside down every season either.

Coach Kurt Rambis and Kahn need to open their eyes and realize the special talent Love has.  It is no accident that Love made it on a team USA squad filled with current and future All-Stars.

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