Kevin Love and Carmelo Anthony have to be two of the NBA’s best “flawed” superstars. On one hand, Love looks to be an MVP candidate this year and is one of the league’s most unstoppable stat-stuffers, repeatedly putting up lines like the one he had against the Clippers earlier this season: 23 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists and four three-pointers. Yet he hasn’t quite reached superstar status because of injuries, his defensive struggles and Minnesota’s repeated failures to meet expectations.
Then there’s ‘Melo, who’s perhaps the best one-on-one player in the NBA but yet can’t stop his Knicks from sitting at 3-10, tied with Brooklyn as the biggest bust in the entire league. All these years in, Anthony can’t really defend, is often criticized for ball-stopping, and has yet to show he can lead a team to a title. But damn can he score.
Today, we’re arguing. Who’s better: K-Love or ‘Melo? We argue. You decide.
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CARMELO ANTHONY
The game of basketball is… well, diverse, but it is that level of diversity that makes the game loveable. For years, the NBA has been graced with unfathomable talent.
In 2003, the NBA was blessed with an ultra-talented draft class consisting of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony. Since their entrance into the league James, Wade and Bosh have joined forces and are currently defending their second NBA title.
So what has become of Carmelo Anthony?
Carmelo Anthony has cemented his name as one of the most prolific scoring talents in league history. His ability to score in almost anyway he chooses is remarkable. When Carmelo Anthony started his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets, he would leave the spectators jaw-dropped at his offensive prowess. At such a young age his game was already more developed than the other rookies and even some established veterans.
Carmelo has seen his role on the court expand over the years; his offense has been moved from a perimeter-heavy game to a well-rounded game, meaning he works at a high level on the low and high post.
Due to the expansion of his game, we have seen Carmelo compared to more players in the league. One comparison that caught my attention is between Carmelo and All-Star power forward Kevin Love and, at first glance, some might see this as an odd topic because they play two different styles. But I am here to tell the readers why this is a fair comparison and why Carmelo is a better player than Love.
Yes, Kevin Love is regarded as one of the best power forwards in the Association, but to be blunt, Carmelo Anthony is the better all-around basketball player.
Here is why: Carmelo Anthony has the more complete game. He can post up on the low block and hurt opposing defenses in more ways than one. He can back you down, or he can face up and make a move to get to the rim. If he is not posting up, he is lighting up defenses from anywhere on the floor. With Kevin Love, he is going to hurt you on the inside, but from the perimeter, he is not as lethal as Carmelo.
If you want to look to the topic of efficiency, you have to realize that Carmelo is a perimeter-oriented player. He is going to shoot more jumpers than Kevin Love, and being the only top 10 player on his team, he will take a majority of the shots. It is true that Love is also a number one option, but his offense is coming from the post — even if he’s doing a lot of pick-n-pops nowadays — and for a dominant post presence to fall short of the 50 percent from the field mark is disappointing. Most of the great bigs in league history reach the 50 percent mark yearly.
Defensively, both Carmelo and Love are not the most sound, but Carmelo can play stout defense when he chooses to put in the effort. It is hard to give anyone the edge here, so I think it’s fair to call it a tie.
Overall, I have to give the edge to Carmelo Anthony. Keep in mind that Carmelo is in a messy situation in New York. His superior offensive skill gives him the edge in an argument involving two players that are not defensive studs. Lastly, take this point into consideration: Carmelo Anthony is not dubbed the best small forward in the game, but look who he is competing with: the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Paul George. Kevin Love is battling with LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Bosh and Blake Griffin. Not to discredit them, they are stars in their own right, but they are just not in the same class as George, Durant and James. Kevin Love is no slouch in this debate, but it is clear that Carmelo is the better talent.
-JOSEPH DURUAKU
Hit page 2 to hear the argument for Kevin Love…
KEVIN LOVE
I love Carmelo Anthony. I religiously supported him when he was donning the orange and white when he was playing with Hakim Warrick and those boys in Syracuse. I supported ‘Melo when he was playing alongside A.I. and later Chauncey during his time in Denver. I even supported ‘Melo when the media was berating him about his selfishness. Despite his gaudy stats and score-first mentality, which would make any offensive minded fan go bonkers, it hurts me to say this but ‘Melo is not even a top three small forward in the league. He’s behind LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and now Paul George.
So it befuddles me that we would honestly compare Kevin Love – who is the best power forward in the league – to a player that isn’t even top three at his position. Now granted, Kevin Love hasn’t been to the playoffs during his time in the league. I get that. But let’s remember that he hasn’t been fully healthy nor has his teammates. Also, let’s remember the failed Brandon Roy experiment in which he was supposed to be the catalyst at the guard position. Let’s remember that Ricky Rubio hasn’t played a full season. Let’s remember the debacle surrounding Jonny Flynn. Injuries proved to be a deterrent to a team built to make the playoffs. They finally will this season.
After Al Jefferson departed from the team via trade, the keys to the franchise were given to Kevin Love. And what happened? Kevin Love pummeled through the door and woke everybody up who was sleeping. With a plethora of 20-20 games while mastering the art of the three-ball at 6-10, he stampeded his way to the All-Star Game, posting 20 points and 15 rebounds during the ’10-11 season. He would even solidify his spot as the best power forward in the league the following season, averaging 26 points and 13 rebounds despite only playing 55 games. Last year, his hand hampered him from playing and limited him to 18 games. He still managed to average a beyond decent 18 and 14 that year. So with him and Rubio being sidelined and prepping to comeback this season, the T’Wolves would bolster their roster by adding the sharpshooter Kevin Martin.
What has that done for the T’Wolves? Well Minnesota sits at 8-8 and are more importantly, healthy. Kevin Love has once again proven why he’s the best power forward in the NBA, averaging 24.6 points and 13.8 rebounds per game with double-doubles in every game but one. Not only has he strung double-doubles on a regular basis but he also has averaged 4.4 assists so far this season. He’s looking like a triple-double threat every night and has forged a beyond formidable duo with Kevin Martin as they are looking like a viable threat to Golden State’s Splash Brothers, consisting of Steph and Klay, as the best shooting teammates in the league.
The only issue with Kevin Love has been health. That’s the only reason why he’s not a top-five player. But, if Kevin Love remains healthy and injury free, he’ll continue to blossom and finally have his opportunity to burst onto the playoff scene where we know all true stars come to life.
-CARL LAMARRE
What do you think?
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