Now that one election is over, another begins: The NBA on Tuesday released its list of players on this season’s All-Star ballot. There’s 60 choices for the Western Conference team, and three of them are Wolves: Al Jefferson, of course, at center and Mike Miller and Kevin Love at forward.
The All-Star Game is Feb. 15 at Phoenix and the Wolves better do some winning if Jefferson’s going to have a chance of getting there. You can bet Love will be in the rookie-sophomore game.
Center Al Jefferson is joined by rookie forward Kevin Love and Mike Miller, the Wolves’ starting shooting guard who is listed as a forward. An all-star appearance would be the first for each.
The Wolves did not have any all-stars last season.
From PRNewswire:
Minnesota Timberwolves’ rookie Kevin Love is helping kick off the inaugural Rookie Relief for St. Jude ( www.stjude.org/rookierelief), a fundraising campaign to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital(R), one of the world’s premier pediatric cancer centers. As ambassador of the campaign, Love joins the NBA’s top rookies and select league veterans in donating autographed game jerseys for an eBay(R) auction to be held November 11 – 20. Other participating NBA rookies include Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Michael Beasley, Brook Lopez and Greg Oden.
Bryan Armen Graham/SI.com lists Kevin Love at #6 on his weekly rookie rankings.
Love’s uneven weekend was typical of a rookie’s ups and downs. Last Friday, the 20-year-old power forward made his first career start and had a personal-best 20 points (on 6-for-7 shooting) and eight rebounds in Sacramento. The following night, the Lake Oswego, Ore., native endured a chilly reception in Portland and finished with two points in his homecoming. It seems many local hoops fanatics still resent Love — a three-time state champion at nearby Lake Oswego High and Oregon’s all-time leading scorer — for attending college in Los Angeles instead of Eugene.
David Thorpe/ESPN also has Love listed at #6:
I like how Love can make plays for himself out on the floor when he’s being a bit overwhelmed inside. He is a smooth ball handler and can cover ground more quickly than his defenders expect.
Finishing at the rim will be a problem for him until he is better equipped to explode through contact. But adding Sebastian Telfair to the starting lineup gives Love the pace-pusher he needs to better utilize his outlet passing talents.
Wittman said he will use the same starting lineup he has in the last two games, with Sebastian Telfair and Mike Miller at guard, Al Jefferson at center and Corey Brewer and Kevin Love at forward.
Al Jefferson has provided consistent production from the low-post by averaging 21.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Jefferson will battle an up and coming center against Andris Biedrins, who has more than doubled his scoring output this year. Biedrins averages a double-double and is a key component to the Warriors offense. CJ Watson and Kelenna Azubuike are the featured backcourt for Golden State as the two young players will start opposite of Sebastian Telfair and Mike Miller. Kevin Love will look to bounce back after a rough game against Portland where he scored only two points in the loss.
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