Minnesota Timberwolves: Analyzing Why Kevin Love Gets No Respect

In a recent article, I argued that Kevin Love should win the 2012 MVP award.

Not surprisingly, a majority of readers either disagreed completely or acknowledged that, although Love puts up impressive numbers night after night, he will not receive MVP honors.

Love is averaging 26 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. He's No. 1 in the NBA for double-doubles. He put up a great performance over All-Star weekend.

So why the lack of respect for the Minnesota star?

No. 1: Love plays for a losing team.

I think it's fair to say that a large reason Love is under-appreciated is plain and simple: he plays for the Timberwolves. I'm a Minnesota girl, born and raised, and I will always support my team. However, it's hard to argue against the losing record, and it's common knowledge that a player will only receive so much recognition until he can turn his squad into a contender.

In the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons, Minnesota won only 15 and 17 games, respectively. When a team delivers a season this terrible, no one cares about the numbers one player is putting up.

Yardbarker's Shay Graves weighs in:

"For Love, it has been bad. Being in a small market in conjunction with playing for a perennial loser (six consecutive losing seasons, eight of 22 total seasons under .500) has made exposure hard to come by."

No. 2: Minnesota is a small-market franchise.

Being in a small-market team in the Midwest, Love naturally receives a smaller audience than players for the Knicks, Lakers, Celtics or Heat. If the fourth-year forward ended up in a city of this caliber, he would automatically attract a spotlight, and his performance would be magnified from the move alone.

No. 3: Love is not a flashy player.

The fact that Love is underrated cannot be blamed entirely on the losing team and small-market franchise. When Kevin Garnett played in Minnesota, everyone knew what level player he was. Garnett only brought home one MVP award, but he also garnered respect from basketball fans and media personnel across the country.

The difference between K-Love and KG?

Love is not a flashy player. Everyone remembers Garnett in his time with the Wolves—stuffing slam dunks and capitalizing on play after play, KG played with a contagious energy and intensity that often escaped through his signature howls.

Garnett played in a way that Love often doesn't—he demanded respect when he stepped on the court, regardless of whether he was wearing a Wolves jersey or a Celtics jersey.

No. 4: The supporting cast reflects on the player.

Since Love entered the NBA, this is the first season he's entered the MVP discussion and caused some real buzz around the league.

This is partially because he shaped up physically during the offseason and delivered more consistent performances. However, it's also because this is the first season he's had a legitimate supporting cast on the roster.

With the addition of Ricky Rubio, JJ Barea and Derrick Williams, the offense runs smoother under new head coach Rick Adelman. In addition, Love relies more fully on those around him and receives more chances to really hone his skills.

Conclusion

Think about the big names in the league today: Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose. Each of them has at least two—if not all—of the factors mentioned above.

Yes, Love has the numbers. Unfortunately, in his current situation, he needs to provide more than stats to get seriously noticed by those who matter in the basketball world.