One NBA season, one player: Zach Randolph or Kevin Love?
Up again. This time around, it's Z-Bo vs K-Love. Remembering the parameters...
It's a rare player that is able to actually discernibly lift during the playoffs, but that's exactly what Randolph did last year. The guy has undergone a major transformation, from being someone who never hit expectations to someone that routinely exceeds them.
Now... Kevin Love. An amazing player - he just seems to devour rebounds... but that's part of my problem. Love seems to be more interested in statistical excellence than winning games. I have at times witnessed him overpowering his own teammates in his desire to get the board. The guy plays to win - that's not in doubt... but sometimes individual pursuits need to take a back seat to the success of the team. As often as not - it amounts to the same thing. But not always, and I think Love's still in the process of working that out.
Rob: This one is an easy one for me. Randolph has shown increasing maturity throughout his career and is coming off a very successful season with Memphis and some outstanding playoff performances. Love's Chamberlain-like pursuit of individual stats diminishes him in my eyes. He is not a guy I want on my team. Randolph all the way.
Check out the Bloguin vote on this at Hoops Manifesto, and look at Rose v CP3, Amare v Melo, Kobe v Wade...
Which of the two players would you choose to play for your fictional team next season. You only have this player for one season and one season only. So, who ya got: Zach Randolph or Kevin Love?
Don: Both guys are amazing talents - and this would be a tough one to mess up, but for a one-off year I'm going to go Zach.It's a rare player that is able to actually discernibly lift during the playoffs, but that's exactly what Randolph did last year. The guy has undergone a major transformation, from being someone who never hit expectations to someone that routinely exceeds them.
Now... Kevin Love. An amazing player - he just seems to devour rebounds... but that's part of my problem. Love seems to be more interested in statistical excellence than winning games. I have at times witnessed him overpowering his own teammates in his desire to get the board. The guy plays to win - that's not in doubt... but sometimes individual pursuits need to take a back seat to the success of the team. As often as not - it amounts to the same thing. But not always, and I think Love's still in the process of working that out.
Rob: This one is an easy one for me. Randolph has shown increasing maturity throughout his career and is coming off a very successful season with Memphis and some outstanding playoff performances. Love's Chamberlain-like pursuit of individual stats diminishes him in my eyes. He is not a guy I want on my team. Randolph all the way.
Check out the Bloguin vote on this at Hoops Manifesto, and look at Rose v CP3, Amare v Melo, Kobe v Wade...
