Thaddeus Young Shades Kevin Love: “26 And 12 Didn’t Make It To The Playoffs”

Today is officially media day for many NBA teams as training camps start, signaling the beginning of the 2014-14 NBA Season. One of the bigger storylines of the offseason surrounds the revamped Cavs team, who acquired LeBron James in free agency and dealt for Kevin Love. Love’s replacement on the Timberwolves, Thaddeus Young, threw some shade on Love while talking with the media today.

Young first told the AP’s Jon Krawczynski that his situation in Minnesota is a lot better than it was in Philadelphia.

Even though both teams are in rebuild mode, Young’s right with this self-assessment because the Sixers will probably stink again this year, and while the ‘Wolves might not make the postseason in the tough Western Conference, they’ll certainly be a lot more fun to watch with rookies Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins filling the wings next to point guard Ricky Rubio. On the playoff point, though, Young had a little junk to talk to Love, who averaged over 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds last year when he was selected to the All-NBA Second Team for the second time in his career.

Boom?

Young was merely pointing out that for all of Love’s amazing ability to score and rebound he didn’t actually lead the ‘Wolves to the playoffs — the sixth straight season Love has failed to do so since getting drafted out of UCLA in 2008.

Then again, we doubt the additions of Young, Wiggins and the 2013 No. 1 pick, Anthony Bennett, are likely to change that nefarious distinction for a franchise that hasn’t been back to the postseason since Kevin Garnett, Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell led them to the Western Conference Finals in 2004.

Fair or foul on Young’s part?

Follow Spencer on Twitter at @SpencerTyrel.

Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.

Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.

×