The Warriors have reached a verbal agreement with their fans “not to suck.” No word on the exact terms, something about Oracle, Maui, and Tim Kawakami getting bored. In the meantime, I’ll speculate on a trade rumor that will likely hang till draft day.
I’m a huge Anthony Randolph booster, defender, damn near sycophant. I’ve never seen a talent quite like him, and I’ve never seen a talent quite like him rot on the bench behind the sulfur stink of Mikki Moore. So what of Randolph for Love? Sheed’s against it, and I dodged the question last week. My main issue is the moral hazard of letting pre-fired Warriors executives determine the future. But I’ll let that slide until temporary Warriors HQ trades Steph Curry for Derek Fisher. Shaking my fist at the moral hazard is merely a way to sidestep a tough question: Would I swap Anthony Randolph for Kevin Love?
I wouldn’t, but objectively, it would be a correct decision.
So, Love for Randolph, Randolph for Love, a cold shoulder for any Al Jefferson discussions. To the Love haters, I say, “not as crazy as you’d think.” And that’s because Love is more athletic than you’ve been led to believe. How else could Kevin have snatched so many rebounds in the L? The voodoo of fundamentals? KL has hops.
Don’t scoff when I call Love athletic (you awful, dastardly bastard of a reverse racist). If Draft Express was working right now, I’d link to his impressive 2008 vertical leap (35 inches by my recollection). Since Draft Express could still be fritzed as you read…might as well exaggerate. Kevin Love is the next Dominique Wilkins. He just dunked on you. Twice. On Christmas, I looked up, thinking I spied Santa in the sky. It was actually Kevin Love, dunking on me. Hard. Still not sure why I expected Santa and I’m confused as to why Kevin Love was tied to a Reindeer. But he dunked on me with such ferocity that I now leave milk and cookies for Love as a means of avoiding such Christmas haymakers. And I’m Jewish.
Okay, Draft Express started working while I wrote that deranged paragraph. Kevin Love has a maximum vertical leap of 35 inches, equaling Anthony Randolph’s. Of course, AR plays bigger on defense and he’s quicker off his feet. A major difference is that Randolph’s a shade taller (1.5 inches), and outspans Love’s wings (3.75 inches). Caveat: These metrics aren’t perfect and they don’t necessarily quantify what we see in games. But Love’s lack of athleticism is greatly exaggerated. And his on court contributions are underrated.
14ppg, 11rpg, 2.3 apg, 28.6mpg
Love’s scoring leaves something to be desired, as does his 54.9 true shooting percentage. But he could be the best rebounder in the league, and the Warriors are in need of boards. Love’s supposedly a defensive disaster, but his 82games stats say he’s neutral on that end. KLove could also pass well for a team replete with blinders-hindered gunners.
So yes, Randolph for Love would be logical in a straight up trade. It hurts to say it, but I think I would. Were I not a Warriors fan.
So why wouldn’t I do the trade? Aesthetics. It sounds like foolish subjective musing, but there’s something mysterious and fascinating about AR’s game. I don’t want to give up on that, I couldn’t. I want the Lamar Odom-Josh Smith hybrid playing with Stephen Curry, let’s see how it plays out. The best Anthony Randolph scenario sounds much more appealing than the best Kevin Love scenario.
I move Monte for Al Jefferson, not Love. I move Monte for Evan Turner. I move Monte for Joe Johnson (we can dream) and draft big player. Basically, I move Monte.
I agree with keeping AR and giving him a healthy season with Curry…. But instead of talking about trading Randolph, someone with huge amounts of potential and promise, why don’t we trade off some of our dead weight? Radmanovic? Wright? Radmanovic is old and cant shoot if his life depended on it and Wright just can’t stay fit. Why not propose a Radmanovic/Wright trade for Love? I know that would be too good to be true, because our front office are keen on having us suck but this seems to be more logical for us? no?
I love Randolph too but there is no way Minnesota would trade Kevin Love for him.
How does this help them? Obviously Love would be perfect for GS and Nellie ball so it makes sense for them, but GS would have to add a draft pick or 2 or maybe ellis to get a deal like this done.
Remember Love came out after his freshman year as well so is also young. Let me see a selfless rebounder and exceptional passer to work with a point guard who is a great passer hmmm. Love and Curry together would make everyone else so much better but it wouldn’t show up in the stats …, hopefully though in the win column. Anthony Randolph may be good but he needs the infrastructure of a good team. Love and Curry will build that infrastructure other players need to excel. I say do it!
Yeah the passion of AR and his athletic ability in games makes him far to sweet to let dissolve in a trade like this. Albeit that Love is sick, I liked him back at UCLA(although I thought he should have stayed in Oregon to play in his home state and at the school his father is a Hall of Fame’r for “The Ducks”). But to trade for such a bland piece like that hurts us at this stage. Love is a guy you trade for when all you need is a little fine tuning on the rebounding and a nice role play to make the push to the championship game. We need potential. We need to be peaking in a year or two. We need guys like AR, Morrow, Curry, a good draft pick, Azibuke, Biedrens and the rest of the gang to hold strong and grow as a unit.
I agree trade Monte. As much as I hate to say that… we should. It seems like he has a different motive then the rest of the team. I love him but after the crash, and the Captain Jack situation and the Curry stuff it just seems like he is already gone.
Keep AR. Give him a healthy year with Curry and a coach that will play him. If we can get everyone together this team is going to be good this year.. and great in the years to come.
I’d like to see a season of Randolph unleashed from Nelson/Reily before I’d trade him away. A season playing with Curry would be nice too. The player who really needs to be moved is Monta Ellis. Let him be the trade bait for that big inside presence the Warriors have been looking for.
a good point that Love isn’t a bad player. but you just don’t trade the more passionate (perhaps to a fault) and potentially better version of Lamar Odom for a better version of Troy Murphy. you just don’t do it. Now if Reily is heading to Minnesota after his impending beheading, then watch out. this isn’t a 5 man draft class it’s a two man class. No player, besides turner and wall, + Kevin Love = Anthony Randolph