Monday, May 26, 2014

Gregory Crawford On Basketball, May 26th, 2014

By Gregory Crawford--TV, Print and Radio Basketball Analyst---twitter @wchoops @crawssportsbiz

Kevin Love---- I have spent the day thinking and talking to sources about just what will happen with Kevin Love and where will he be playing in the future. Love is terrific player, who probably would be able to give any team, 15 more great years, the way he takes care of himself.

One of Love's biggest fans is Kerry Keating, the outstanding head coach at Santa Clara University,  who worked with Love when he was an assistant at UCLA and also did all the major recruiting to get him to UCLA. In a March conversation I had with Keating he told me nothing that Kevin Love does in basketball surprises him and at the same time he is so proud of Kevin the way he keeps improving his body and works at it every single day, something that even surprises Keating with the transformation of Love's physicality.

As mentioned sources close to Love offered some insight to me this morning, that are quite interesting.

1. It was re-affirmed to me that if Love is traded by Minnesota he wants to play for a team that is ready to win right away, not into rebuilding. That narrows the field of suitors big time when it comes to NBA teams.

2. While Love has no single preference of the winning teams he would like to go to, or a priority list, one team he would "Love" to play for would be the Portland Trail Blazers,  who play in the state where Love was one of the best all time high school players, while attending Lake Oswego High and where his family still lives. Very few people ever talk about Love becoming a Portland Trail Blazer.

3. It was also interesting to learn that Mychal Thompson, a very talented player in his own right when he played in the NBA and the father of talented Golden State Warrior player Klay Thompson would "Love" for Kevin to hook up with his son in Golden State, especially since Mychal has maintained a  friendship with  Kevin's father Stan, who as most people know probably was the greatest player ever for the Oregon Ducks and went on to play in the NBA, most of his career with Washington Bullets. Mychal Thompson has actually made several recruiting pitches to Stan Love about Kevin becoming a Golden State Warrior.

4. It should also never be ruled out, that Miami Heat president Pat Riley is a huge fan of Kevin Love and Riley is one of the shrewdest minds in the game today. No one should ever count Riley out when it comes to seeking a player, as I can remember five years past no one was giving it the slightest chance that Bosh, Wade and LeBron would be on the same team.

Gregory Crawford On Basketball BOTTOM LINE:  It will be surprising if Love winds up anywhere else but Golden State, but you can never rule out the Los Angeles Lakers or the Miami Heat.

A BIG SHOUT OUT TO ALL VETERANS, ON THIS GREAT HOLIDAY WHERE WE SALUTE THE LIVING AND PAST. WE ARE ALL BETTER OFF BECAUSE OF YOU.


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