Report: Kevin Love Wins NBA’s Most Improved Player Award
Kevin Love (photo. Blake Peterson)
Of all the awards handed out at the end of the season, Most Improved Player has to be my favorite. But at the same time, it’s also the most subjective. For example, should it go to a guy like Dorell Wright who went from 7.1 to 16.4 points per game – the highest increase in the NBA – including a league-leading 194 threes this season? Or a guy like Kris Humphries, who finished the season averaging a double-double, one of only eight players to do so. Regardless of how you look at it, there are always going to be about 10 guys in this conversation that have either gone from unknown to know, role player to starter, or star to superstar. This year, it appears Kevin Love‘s miraculous season will earn him some hardware.
According to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, Love will be named the NBA’s Most Improved Player later today – a well-deserved honor. This season, the first-time All-Star averaged an impressive 20.2 points and 15.2 rebounds per game – up from 14.0 and 11.0 a year ago – and led the NBA in rebounding. He posted career highs in scoring, rebounding, assists (2.5), free throw shooting (85 percent), three-point shooting (41.7 percent) and minutes (35.8). Oh yeah, and he had that ridiculous 53-game double-double streak, the league’s longest since the ABA/NBA merger in 1976.
While Love joins Jermaine O’Neal (2002) and Danny Granger (2009) as the only players to be named an All-Star in the same season they win the award in the past decade, there’s another startling stat that he might not be so pleased to hear. Since its inception, the award has been given to 25 different players, and none of them have ever gone on to win an NBA Championship.
What do you think? Should love have won the Most Improved Player award?
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April 21st, 2011 at 11:59 am
Alex "robocop" Murphy says:
Kris Humphries. He landed Kim K. Most Improved Playa.
April 21st, 2011 at 12:04 pm
bunscliff says:
Ever since Bird … the NBA has been looking for the next great WHITE HOPE… KEVIN LOVE IS THE NEW POSTER CHILD FOR WHITE AMERICA….
OOPS I forgot about BLAKE GRIFFIN… yes I know his daddy is black but that is the closest they are going to get …
April 21st, 2011 at 12:26 pm
Austin Burton says:
Love’s career is following almost the exact path of Zach Randolph’s career. (Z-Bo won 2004 Most Improved.) So now let’s see if Love ever gets the same crap for being out of shape, playing on losing teams, and putting up “empty” stats. I’m guessing it won’t happen, and I think I know why.
April 21st, 2011 at 12:43 pm
control says:
AB
If this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh2fn01cngg is why you are thinking it won’t happen, you are correct. KLove and Fat Zach don’t seem to have many parallels in their careers so far though, how many years did it take Zach to get to an allstar game? Minny is bad because their GM is HORRIBLE, Fat Zach’s teams were horrible because he killed chemistry and played so selfishly that it would kill his team.
KLove is appearing on shows like Entourage, Fat Zach should be on shows like The Biggest Loser, or COPS.
April 21st, 2011 at 12:54 pm
yoda says:
AB
please, tell us why
April 21st, 2011 at 1:41 pm
panchitoooo says:
why wouldnt he deserve the trophy? double doubles out the ass and dude is way to small to pull those kinda stat lines nightly
April 21st, 2011 at 1:42 pm
JAY says:
@ yoda… don’t wait for AB, I’ll tell you. I’ll go out on a limb and say AB wants to pull the race card. Am I right, AB?
If I am right about the race card, I disagree.
ZR has a checkered past and a not-so-endearing reputation in his early years. Love has no history of any problems and has a reputation for being extremely coachable. That’s why Love won’t be put under the same light as Randolph.
Sure, their career paths are a bit the same, but Love’s reputation is entirely different than Randolph’s.
April 21st, 2011 at 2:02 pm
Oscarisalakerfan says:
Yup, he pulled the race card.
April 21st, 2011 at 2:13 pm
JAY says:
We all knew Love had the ability to be a dominant rebounder. His per 48 mins stats are about the same as last years, so really, his stats only improved because his minutes improved.
So my question to everyone is this is….
Should the award be given to the players who actually improved? Or the players we know can get All-Star-like numbers but just didn’t get the minutes last year.
IMO, it should go to the guys who actually improved. Derozan took huge strides in his game this year so i think he actually IMPROVED more than Love did. If I had a vote, i would have voted for Dorell Wright. Not a lot of people saw that coming.
April 21st, 2011 at 2:35 pm
Austin Burton says:
@control — Exactly my point. Zach had his first 20-and-10 season in 2004, the same year he won MIP and played on a Portland team that actually won 41 games. But he didn’t make the All-Star team. Love put up 20-and-15, won MIP, and played on a Minnesota team that won 17 games. But he did make the All-Star team. What’s the difference?
The fact that you just solely blamed Zach for the bad teams he’s played on, while you didn’t put any blame on Love is part of what I’m talking about. The Black man with the “checkered past” MUST be the problem, whereas the White man from a good background avoids any criticism. How do you know Love has nothing to do with Minnesota sucking? And how do you know Zach had everything to do with his teams sucking?
So even if Love continues to be just as “fat”/unathletic and plays on just as many bad teams as Zach has played on, my bet is that he won’t get nearly as much criticism (on-court) as Zach has faced throughout is career. And that is a race/class issue, sorry.
April 21st, 2011 at 2:39 pm
Austin Burton says:
P.S. — It’s not just about a single All-Star berth. I don’t recall exactly, but maybe the West forwards were more stacked in 2004 than in 2011. But my point is that Zach was putting up 20-and-10 stats on bad teams for YEARS before he ever got All-Star consideration, yet Love cracks the All-Star roster and is billed as a star the first year he goes 20-10 on a bad team. Zach’s public perception was that he was a loser who was part of the reason his teams were bad. Love is perceived as a star who just happens to play on a bad team. Why does he get that leeway and Zach didn’t?
April 21st, 2011 at 3:20 pm
yoda says:
z-bo played for team called jailblazers! do you know why? and its not because z-bo is black. don’t do that shit austin. always respected your opinion, but c’mon man. you are talking nonsense here. z-bo was voted as all star last year because he was playing for nice team, he had nice relationship with fans and community… in his younger years, he played for blazers that used to fight with each other on practices, i won’t even mention what joke were knicks and what kind of knuckleheads played back then. z-bo’s contribution was never in doubt. if k-love starts acting like zach used to do, 5-6 years ago, then he would get same kind of bad attention. please don’t pull race card when everyone knows what happened back then. don’t tell me griffin will win ROY because he looks white?
April 21st, 2011 at 3:55 pm
panchitoooo says:
ive never heard of the NBA/ABA being racist before, so why would they start now? if kevin love was all tatted out and wore baggy cloths and diamond chains im sure he still would be the MIP this year…
April 21st, 2011 at 4:01 pm
Austin Burton says:
@yoda — Z-Bo’s contribution WAS in doubt, which is why it took him so long to make an All-Star team despite putting up the numbers. Why did it take so long for Z-Bo to get recognized for his production, whereas Love is being handed star status so soon? Why is nobody calling Love a fat, lazy, me-first stat-obssessed loser like they called Z-Bo?
April 21st, 2011 at 4:26 pm
control says:
AB
White, black, it don’t make any difference. I generally dislike players who act like fucking fools, cause chaos on their team, play like pussies, are fat or out of shape (for a professional athelete) or play extremely selfishly. Zach is pretty much all of that, except he doesn’t really play like a pussy. I also dislike guys who have a “checkered” past, because generally speaking they are guys who break the law and are pieces of shit. They aren’t people I would want in my life, nor are they people I’d want to idolize or admire.
Fat Zach was one of the main guys on the team labeled “Jailblazers” (as noted above by Jay I think), which was one of the only teams more dysfunctional than Isiah’s New York Knicks, which ironically enough Zach was a part of too.
Race is the absolute LAST thing I’d look at to judge someone by, and I don’t just assume that black people=criminal activity or something. Is that what you are saying, that only black people can have checkered pasts or be a team cancer? Bottomline, shady past (and future according to some articles out there tying him to being the biggest drug supplier in Indianapolis), and just being unskilled in every factet of the game outside of scoring and rebounding…means I dislike the guy and will troll him everytime I see his name.
April 21st, 2011 at 4:45 pm
Austin Burton says:
@control:
I’m not even trying to bring Zach or Love’s past or anything off-court into the conversation. I know Zach’s story. My point has been that the ON-COURT reasons people have historically given for bashing Zach — that he’s fat, unathletic, selfish, a loser, a stat pig, etc. — could EASILY be applied to Love. So why aren’t they?
April 21st, 2011 at 5:11 pm
turambur says:
@Austin
Fowards on the 2004 Western Conference All-Star Team:
Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Peja Stojaković, Andrei Kirilenko, and Dirk Nowitzki.
Not on the 2004 all-star team: Carmelo Anthony and Amaré Stoudemire.
On that list, the only guys you could even argue were less deserving than Z-Bo are Peja and AK, but are both small forwards and were in the heights of their careers. Take that list, drop those two guys and add STAT adn Melo, then tell me who should have been left off to make room for Z-Bo?
April 21st, 2011 at 5:34 pm
Austin Burton says:
@turambur — Melo was a rookie in 2004 and STAT only played in 55 games that year, so I’m assuming he was hurt or hadn’t played in many games come All-Star time.
But again, I’m not just talking about a single All-Star berth. What about every other year before 2010 when Z-Bo put up 20-and-10 numbers and didn’t get All-Star recognition? What about the perception that he is at the root whenever his team is losing, whereas Love doesn’t get blamed like that? Why is/was there the wide perception that Z-Bo is/was a fat, lazy, selfish, stat pig on a losing team, whereas Love doesn’t get those labels?
April 21st, 2011 at 5:50 pm
turambur says:
Fair or not, but a lot of the selfish stat pig stuff comes from the fact that he played on teams that were not only bad, but dysfunctional. You don’t hear as much of that about K-Love’s T-wolves.
Additionally, while we was in New York, Z-Bo was fat, which makes it easy to assume he was also lazy. (How else is a professional athelte going to be overweight?) There has been a lot of talk before this season about K-Love being too fat and unathletic to contribute on an NBA team.
In fact, I could reverse the arguement and ask you why Love is considered an overachiever by most experts and Z-Bo is considered an underachiever when they play the same position and get very similar numbers? Do we expect more from a basketball player just because of the color of their skin? If so, does that mean that white players are drafted too low and end up losing thouands or millions of dollars because of racism?
April 21st, 2011 at 6:08 pm
Austin Burton says:
@turambur — Good points.
As far as Z-Bo playing on dysfunctional teams, the Knicks and Clippers were a mess LONG before Z-Bo ever showed up. In Portland, Z-Bo came in as a rookie when Sheed, Bonzi, Stoudamire and Ruben Patterson were already on the roster. So it’s not like he single-handedly ruined the Blazers. And we haven’t heard of him doing anything bad in Memphis.
Love got labeled fat/unathletic when he was coming out of college, but I think that had a lot to do with people bracing themselves for another oversized White draft bust. (Which can also go toward what you’re saying about basketball racism against Whites.) This year he’s still not exactly Lex Luger with his physique, but now that he’s being pushed as a star I don’t see very much criticism for Love’s physical traits. And I don’t see people calling Love lazy either.
I could also ask why Z-Bo is constantly criticized for being a terrible passer and having a low basketball IQ when his assist and turnover numbers are similar to Love’s, but Love is considered a good passer and a smart player?
Racism and stereotyping goes both ways in sports. I’m not saying Love and other White players haven’t seen the brunt end of it, but in this case, I see a discrepancy in the way Z-Bo is viewed negatively versus how Love is viewed positively.
April 21st, 2011 at 6:40 pm
control says:
AB
Kevin Love didn’t get ANY respect at all at the beginning of the year, even by his own coach. It’s not like he was handed everything on a silver platter or anything. Kevin Love was actually praised on his basketball IQ, and is a decent, but more importantly a WILLING passer. Kevin Love isn’t the most athletic player, doesn’t look ripped, but he DOES have a 35″ vertical and can actually dunk the ball. He’s a pastey looking white guy, so his athletic abilities are completely disregarded. That would really be the only area I would say there is any racism…
Zach was called fat because…well, he’s fat. He was called lazy because, he was lazy. He doesn’t really possess many basketball skills other than having an amazing nose for the ball in rebound situations. He can’t dribble AT ALL, he’s not quick, he’s not fast, he wouldn’t know the first thing about setting up a play, the guy shoots 3s at like 18% but still jacks 50 a year, he WILL NOT pass the ball unless absolutely required to do so, and he doesn’t really play defense.
I don’t think anyone is hating on Zach because he is black. If that were the case, then how could ANY black guy in the nba not get that same hate. That is what racism is, hating someone because their colour, and I really don’t think many racist people watch and are fans of nba basketball, due to 90% or more of the league being black. White guys aren’t given any special treatment in the league at all, and if anything they might have it HARDER…how many people know Chase Budenger has a 40″ vertical?
There are more than enough reasons to hate on Zach Randolph, race isn’t one of them.
April 21st, 2011 at 7:13 pm
Mike says:
-Love got CONSISTENT playing time this year
-Last year he avereged 11 RPG playin under 29 min
-If any of u had been reading Bill Simmons, well he had already predicted Love would lead the league in boards and hit over 40% from 3, while throwin Wes Unseld outlet passes a while back
-To me the MIP should be a nobody that became relevant/good stater, which would be HUMPHRIES or Dorell Wright
April 21st, 2011 at 7:13 pm
M-Intellect says:
Austin – Your complaining about a 20-10 player not getting the same recognition as a 20-15 player who broke numerous records and chalking up to Race. First of all, K-Love gets 50% rebounds then Zach does/did that is a big difference. Second of all, he scores in more ways then just monopolising the ball like Fat Randolph too.
And don’t say your not bringing off-court issues into play because that is exactly what you did with the race/class and checkered backgrounds statements.
If race is such an issue why isn’t Manu a bigger star? Or
April 21st, 2011 at 7:40 pm
Austin Burton says:
I never said it was as simple as “People hate on Zach Randolph because he’s Black.”
I’m pointing out the difference in public perception of Z-Bo versus the perception of K-Love, despite the fact that they actually have a lot in common. Love isn’t any more ripped than Z-Bo, his team sucks just as bad Z-Bo’s worst teams, and according to the numbers, he isn’t much less “selfish” or turnover-prone than Z-Bo.
So because it looks like their careers are headed down similar paths — with Love winning MIP in his third year just like Zach did — I wonder if that gap in perception will remain if Love’s teams don’t become contenders and he doesn’t get any less “fat.” If Love becomes a beloved star under the same circumstances in which Z-Bo became an NBA pariah, of course I’m looking at race as a factor.
April 21st, 2011 at 7:42 pm
G'Ra Asim says:
control
You’re really oversimplifying the concept of racism. Kevin Love’s eminence as a ballplayer is being amplified not only because he’s good, but also because he’s white and American, and there is more or less a void there in terms of that demographic’s representation in the echelon of elite NBA players. Plenty of my American white friends point out to me that it is lamentable that practically all the superlative white players in the L are foreign-born, that they would like to see someone who represents their own social location excelling in the NBA. I don’t know if this is precisely what AB is saying, but it makes sense that as soon as a decent white American player began to rise, he would garner inordinate attention in part because of his novelty. You don’t have to be a “racist” to applaud seeing a white American player playing at a high level; plenty of people who do not despise people of color are still going to be inclined to find Kevin Love’s success exciting in a different way than say, Blake Griffin’s, who is obviously plenty exciting in his own right. Think about it; do you think Asian-Americans in the bay area are thrilled about Jeremy Lin because they’re “racist?” Do Chinese fans overseas vote the inactive Yao Ming into All-Star games because they are prejudiced against all non-Asian, American players? If Mormons come out in droves to see Jimmer in the L next year, will that mean that they’re religiously intolerant and look down on the other players who do not share their faith? It’s a bit more nuanced than what you’re preaching.
Conversely, there is no novelty to someone like Z-Bo. He’s a solid player, but because elite players of his social location are not rare, there is bound to be an enthusiasm gap between him and someone like Kevin Love.
And about Chase Budinger, I’d wager that almost anyone who knows anything about him knows he can jump out of the gym, because while he is not a great all-around player and is consequently not well-known, his stellar athleticism is the only reason anyone would bring him up. If he was a black backup swingman with the same skills, it would be much less notable to mention because of the lack of novelty.
April 21st, 2011 at 9:52 pm
control says:
The public perception is different exactly because Zach’s public perception is one of being a thug, lazy, fat and team cancer. If Zach wasn’t a wannabe thug, lazy, fat and team cancer, then he would be getting as much, or more, love than Kevin Love is right now. THAT is the main difference, and the “why” to that perception is because Zach made a lot of bad off the court choices to earn that reputation. He made so many, that people are quite literally shocked that he hasn’t been a team cancer and/or got arrested in the last year. People take note when he ISN’T a thug…just like people being shocked at SJack not shooting a gun off this year, or Ron Artest not rushing into a crowd and beating up fans, or Kobe not sodomizing chicks (well, we all know he probably did do some of that this year, he just kept it on the DL), etc.
I think right now you could almost say, short of the MIP award, that Kevin Love is like a better rebounding version of Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Solid player on a bad team, like the best player on 14 teams every year…Kevin Love also went 11/9, 14/11, and 20/15 his first three years, compared to Zach’s 3/2, 8/4.5 and then 20/10, which is a major difference.
April 22nd, 2011 at 1:40 am
yoda says:
AB
main problem with your argument is that you don’t want to take into consideration all of court stuff. you know there is reason why no one took seriously ron as a DPOY candidate after that mess in detroit. its not colour of his skin, its bad rep. just now, 6-7 years laters, ron is accepted by mainstream media as a good guy with some antics. previous 6 years, he was mad man (do you remember what was said about him couple of years back, when he showed something like slitting throat to kobe, during the playoffs? he was showing he was hit in the neck while everyone though he is threatening kobe. same thing was with zach’s reception. if you have two players, one green one purple, one is on team called jailblazers, who fights with teammates, does knuckle heads on the court, hate etc pass, supposedly is involved in drug dealing while purple guy is playing team ball, there is no bad rep about him, he was member of your national team that won gold medal, teammates love him… both play similar bball. which one would you pick for your all star team and what would you think about green and what about purple player? like i’ve said, z-bo didn’t get chance to be all star until he cleaned his act, started to be valuable member of community and started to have real relationship with his team.
April 22nd, 2011 at 2:58 am
uqk says:
Another AB mancrush of Z-Bo…
April 22nd, 2011 at 4:22 am
pipdaddyy says:
Yeah, we all know Zach is the second best player after Lebron, just noone understands
Seriously, Austin, quit this argument before you become a laughingstock here. Zach Randolph, although putting up good numbers was a proven problem to his teams time and time again. He seems to be getting it together now, which is great for him. Love has no off-court issues and is ahead in his development as a player so far in his career.
April 22nd, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Austin Burton says:
Again, try to separate the on-court from the off-court. If you’ve noticed, I haven’t even tried arguing against the perception that Zach is a “thug” and has a murkier image than K-Love. Personally I’ve known Zach to not be THAT bad — a guy who has definitely made some poor choices but is growing up — however I understand if someone has a bad track record, people can never get past that. So that’s not what I’m talking about.
I’m talking about the ON-COURT perception. The ON-COURT criticisms that Zach is fat, lazy, selfish, a natural loser who is only worried about his own stats. And Zach being a “thug” should have nothing to do with that. Stephen Jackson is a so-called “thug,” and nobody calls him fat and lazy. Delonte West is a so-called “thug” and nobody calls him selfish or a born loser. You see what I mean? Just consider the on-court criticisms.
Now, why is Zach called fat and lazy when Love is not? What’s the difference in their physical makeup? Where is the evidence that Love works any harder than Zach at his game or on his body?
Zach is called a team cancer. Why? The Knicks and Clippers were already in disarray before Zach arrived. Zach didn’t turn Portland into the “Jail Blazers,” he was just one of the guys who contributed to their reputation. He never got in trouble in New York, and he hasn’t done anything bad (that we know of or that I can recall) in Memphis or at Michigan State. So where does the team cancer rep come from? If it’s only because he has regularly played on bad teams, why doesn’t Love have a rep as a team cancer? In his 3-year career, Love’s teams have gone 56-190; that’s a .227 winning percentage. Are we sure Love has absolutely NOTHING to do with that?
@control — The fact that you used examples of one-time incidents defining a man for life is part of the larger problem. Ron Artest went into the crowd one time, and like you said, people expect him to do it all the time now. Nevermind the 800-plus NBA games Ron has played in where he HASN’T done anything like that.
@yoda — In your purple/green breakdown, you said the purple guy (presumably Love) is loved by his teammates. I’ve never known Zach to play on a team where his teammates didn’t love him. Not to say he gets along with everybody (e.g. Ruben Patterson), but I’m sure Love doesn’t get along with everybody either. He wasn’t even getting along with his coach recently. You put 12-15 grown men in that kind of situation, there are bound to be some clashes.
Anyway, my point isn’t to say Zach is the greatest guy in the world and that he’s had a tragic life. Dude is still very rich and very successful at what he does. So is Kevin Love. But if you can look at the differences in their ON-COURT perception versus the similarities in their game and you don’t think race has anything to do with it, I don’t know what else to tell you. Maybe it’s just a Black thing.
April 22nd, 2011 at 1:55 pm
pipdaddyy says:
Well, on-court: someone put the stats in the conversation, and Love is better in everything at the beginning of their careers. He is a better rebounder than Randolph, also a good outside shooter and a much better passer, and even seems to care on defense even if he is not too good either. Randolph is a better inside scorer, everything else Love seems better at.
I understand the point you are trying to make, but ask 10 people who understand basketball and 9 would pick Love for their team.
April 22nd, 2011 at 2:12 pm
yoda says:
you know its hard to separate on court and of court things. like ive said, z-bo started to get recognition he deserves when he cleaned his act, when he started to have good relationship with community etc… maybe he didn’t started all that mess in portland and new york, but he was part of it. with problems he caused before and during that time, people started to blame him for everything.
as for comparing him and s-jack. everyone knows SJ leaves his heart on the floor, bust his ass on O and D. he might be idiot sometimes, but no one can say about his desire to win. once again, z-bo is getting much deserved attention now that he’s being a role model as a teammate and as member of community.
and since you’re pulling race card, answer me this: why i dirk called soft, even though he did everything he could to win, he lead his team, he lost finals because refs handed it to wade and miami, he elevates his game in playoffs, its his teammates that fade when it matters, while players like channing frye never get that soft label, they are just players who never go to the pain? is dirk soft because he’s white or euro and frye is black and from states? swap frye with LMA before this years, no one called him soft..
April 22nd, 2011 at 2:36 pm
Austin Burton says:
@yoda — I see your point, and I said earlier that sports racism goes both ways. I think Dirk, Pau and Yao being called soft does have something to do with them being from other countries. But your counter-examples don’t really work because Frye and LMA have been called soft for years.
@pipdaddy — I’m not whether Love or Zach is better. I’m saying that with so many similarities to their games and career paths, I wonder why Love doesn’t get nearly as much criticism as Zach. I haven’t heard anyone say that all Love cares about are his stats; that he’s the reason his teams are losing; that he’s lazy and selfish. He’s essentially following Zach’s career path as a 20-point, 10-board, 2-assist guy on a bad team who is chunky. For that, Zach was called a stat-obsessed fat lazy loser. Love isn’t? Why not?
April 22nd, 2011 at 3:43 pm
control says:
AB
Basically why no one is comparing them is because they are at two completely different parts in their careers. No one was saying anything about Zach Randolph when he was in his 3rd year, he wasn’t a fully established bonehead yet, just a low profile stoner. You want to split the on and off court stuff, but it’s pretty hard to do so. People get a perception about a person, and it will be applied to everything they do. If there were an openly gay MMA fighter, do you think he’d thought of as a tough motherfucker, even if he goes GSP on a bunch of fools?
Kevin might end up doing some pretty stupid shit, and get the same labels, but he’s just in his 3rd year in the league. How many people really make an impact in their 3rd year (that aren’t named LeBron)? Especially big guys, they usually need a few years to find their groove. Kevin is also 100000 times more likely to pass than Zach. I remember a few years seeing a stat that said that Zach didn’t pass the ball with less than 3 on the shot clock more than once a game for an entire season. Is that even possible?
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:53 am
Jade says:
This you numbnuts can discuss for 20 pages…but not one peep on whether Dwight will bolt if they lose !!!!