Small forwards: Love wins over doubters about his abilities

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jun 26, 2008 | by Andrew Alberg USA Today

After impressing NBA scouts and general managers with his athletic test results this month, former UCLA forward Kevin Love had just one thing to say to his critics: I told you so.

The power forward (don't call him a center, he says) had heard skeptics all year say he wasn't fast, tall or athletic enough to be successful in the NBA. He might be fundamentally sound and was first- team All-American as a freshman, but his physical limitations would be too much to overcome, some said.

But in the weeks leading up to the NBA's combine, where players are poked, prodded and tested, Love told anyone who would listen that his results would surprise people.

Only after Love backed up his talk with a better-than-expected outcome across the board did some evaluators believe. "Everybody is trying to pick at you," he said. "I read a quote from Steve Nash when he was coming out of college that said, 'People are more caught up in what you can't do than what you can do.' I kind of look at it like that when people say I'm undersized or slow."

Since the Bruins lost to Memphis in the Final Four in early April, Love has had little to do but work out and wait. He has lost 12-15 pounds, cutting his body fat substantially and giving him more mobility in the post. Days and nights have seemed to go by slowly recently, he says, but now that the culmination of his lifelong dream is within sight, the Pacific-10 player of the year says it feels "very, very strange."

In an era when prospects are coached by handlers to say as little as possible, Love is candid when discussing what teams best fit his style. He would like to go where he can play immediately, but is particularly keen on being picked third overall by his childhood idol Kevin McHale, the general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Otherwise, he hopes to go fifth to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Should he end up there, point guard Mike Conley and forward Rudy Gay will be the beneficiaries of Love's famous outlet passes. Love's middle name, Wesley, is an homage to Wes Unseld, a master at outlet passes who played with Love's father on Washington Bullets teams in the '70s.

Bryan Blake, the NBA's assistant director of scouting, says that Love's skill-set is so advanced for a 20-year-old big man that it should overshadow worries that he is not, as Blake says, "the biggest, quickest or highest jumper." Blake added that Love uses his moves and counter-moves so well that he gains the same edge other players do with sheer athleticism.

Love feels teams tend to overlook things like outlet passes in favor of raw athletic numbers and untapped potential when they evaluate prospects.

"People say 'He's so skilled already, I don't know how much better he can get' and put their emphasis on things like wingspan and standing reach, but I think a lot of it is how big a heart you have and how good you are between the ears," Love says. "I think my basketball IQ is higher than anyone else's in the draft and I'm more ready to contribute than anyone out there."

Alexander the Great has arrived

Joe Alexander has always enjoyed a good workout.

Every day, the former West Virginia forward runs, shoots and lifts in preparation for what was once a far-off goal: the NBA draft and, eventually, the league itself.

Now, the hard work is about to pay off. Literally.

Propelled by universal praise for his strength, athleticism and rapidly developing skills, Alexander's stock has skyrocketed the last two months, launching the Maryland resident from a probable mid- first round pick to a likely top 10 selection.

The positive feedback was the main reason Alexander - who spent much of his youth in Asia because of his father's job - decided to forgo his senior year at West Virginia. The decision wasn't easy.

"I still don't know 100 percent if (going pro) was the right decision," says Alexander, who decided to stay in the draft just a day before the June 16 deadline. "I don't think you can ever know."

Alexander came on the national scene to stay when he strung together a series of impressive performances late this past season, including a 34-point explosion against Connecticut in the Big East Tournament. He then led the Mountaineers to the NCAA Sweet 16.

Soon, he started getting invited to teams' workouts and showing up in mock drafts.

During the draft combine earlier this month, Alexander tested as the second-strongest player in the draft (benching 185 pounds 24 times) and the second-fastest in the three-quarter court sprints (2.99 seconds). He also tied for the seventh-best vertical jump.

But Alexander, who credits West Virginia coach Bob Huggins for his strong showings, has proved to be more than just a workout wonder. He is also a smart, capable passer for his size and has shown the ability to finish strong around the basket.

His streaky jumper and suspect ballhandling skills were question marks before the season, Bryan Blake, the NBA's assistant director of scouting, says, but Alexander quelled much of those doubts.

"Anybody that you take in this draft is going to have strengths and concerns, but (Alexander's) progress and how rapid it's been can't be overlooked," Blake says. "What you get with him is a strong work ethic and high upside."