Henry Abbott/True Hoop on Kevin Love:
But TrueHoop reader Larry has pointed out, and Basketball-Reference.com confirms, this player is certainly showing that he’s a special rebounder…
His total rebounding percentage is greater than his age, which just about never happens. He’s only 20, but he grabs 21.3 percent of the rebounds while he’s on the court.
He’s also smaller and less athletic than a lot of the players he’s competing against for those loose balls. And he’s best known as a passer (and trick–shot artist).
How does he do it?
There are probably a lot of contributing factors. Maybe he reads angles better than many. Maybe he is well-schooled in the dark arts of rebound positioning. Certainly he has good hands, and can possess a high percentage of the balls he touches
From Gunnar Peterson at 1 Raindrop: Minnesota Timberwolves – Peter Drucker Case Study
From Jonah Ballow/Timberwolves site– Tuesday practice notes (audio)
Not only did Minnesota beat a team they were supposed to beat (in terms of talent, solely), the Timberwolves did it on the second night of a back to back, and you can’t help but be continually impressed by this team.
Now a league-best 10-2 in 2009, the lowly Timberwolves won’t have the top teams shaking in their boots, but they are playing pretty good ball. We all point to the weak record of their opponents, but they are 2-2 against teams over .500 in that stretch. The ball is moving in the offense, and players are looking for each other. Kevin McHale, the reluctant head coach, is doing well enough to be re-hired if this keeps up. That is not something he really wants. The ironies of life.
Sebastian Telfair limped out of Bradley Center after the game with a bruised thigh sustained late in the game. He got kneed in that thigh and left the game with about four minutes left in the game. He had it wrapped before he left the arena but said it’d be fine…
Assistant coach Dean Cooper got a technical late in the game for protesting the offensive foul Kevin Love got for dropping Charlie Bell with an elbow while he tried to protect a rebound. We’ll see if the league takes a look at it.