When the league announced on Thursday night the 14 reserves selected for its All-Star Game, seven each from the East and West, there was one glaring name omitted from the list. Every year there are snubs, since there are always more than 14 deserving guys and someone has to be left out, but the lack of Kevin Love's presence on this year's West squad was really egregious.
Love is proof that great things sometimes come in funny-looking packages. Even if your team is hopelessly in last place at 11-38, even if you're a somewhat-pudgy-looking white guy who stands a good deal shorter than your listed 6-foot-10, even if you were only a fringe starter as of a few months ago, you can still be a great player in this league.
Love's a great story because he's not your prototypical NBA star. But he's more than just a story now — he's a tremendous player, one of the best power forwards in the NBA today if not the very best. And he's absolutely deserving to play in the All-Star Game two weekends from now in Los Angeles.
The coaches dropped the ball on this one. Love's a better player than the aging Tim Duncan (and he may even be better than Carmelo Anthony, too, but 'Melo will start, thanks to the fans). Love deserved a spot. But David Stern came to Love's rescue, choosing him on Friday evening to replace the injured Yao Ming. Love, who turns 23 in September and has his whole career ahead of him, will be a first-time All-Star later this month.
It might be the first of many. Love's an incredibly skilled fundamental player, much like a young Duncan. He can score in the low or high post, he can pass unusually well for a young big man, and he can rebound. Oh, boy, can he rebound.
Love's currently averaging 15.5 boards per game this year. Not only does that lead the NBA, but it's the best clip anyone's recorded in a single season since Dennis Rodman averaged 16.1 in 1996-97.
The 21.4 points per contest aren't too shabby either.
There were a lot of players deserving of the final spot on the West All-Star team. Steve Nash, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Warrior teammates Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis were all in the conversation. But Love towered over them all. He was the clear choice.
Thank you, David Stern. Thanks to you, we've all found true Love.
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