Kevin Love has been selected into the 2011-2012 All-NBA Second Team this week as announced by the National Basketball Association. Love is the first Timberwolves player since Kevin Garnett in 2005 to be named to an All-NBA team and is the third Timberwolves player in franchise history to be named to an All-NBA team (Sam Cassell and Kevin Garnett).
In just his 4th season in the NBA, Kevin Love has averaged 26.0 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. Love finished 4th behind Durant, Bryant, and James for the most points per game in the regular season. Love also finished 2nd behind Dwight Howard for the most rebounds per game in the regular season. Love led the league in double doubles achieved by putting up 48 double doubles. Kevin Love had a total of 3 games where he had at least 30 points and 20 rebounds, 12 games where he had at least 30 points and 10 rebounds, 24 games where he had at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, 6 games where had at least 10 points and 10 rebounds, 2 games where he had at least 40 points and 10 rebounds, and 1 game where he had at least 50 points and 10 rebounds. Kevin Love shot 37.2% from three point range and made 44.8% of his field goals this 62-game lockout season. Going up against other power forwards in the NBA Love has shown us why he is the best power forward in the league and why he was an MVP candidate this regular season. (Click this to go to my article on this) Other than amazing stats Love was able to win the Footlocker Three Point Shootout in the 2012 All-Star Weekend in Orlando where he ousted three-time scoring champ Kevin Durant for the title. One highlight of his remarkable 2011-2012 regular season campaign was when he hit a buzzer-beating three against the Clippers at Staples Center. (Click this to relive the buzzer-beater) This off-season Love will probably join the United States Men’s Basketball Olympic team alongside basketball icons such as Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Chris Paul, as they try to win their second consecutive Olympic gold medal. This will be Love’s first basketball Olympic games. Get ready London, Love is coming.
MVP candidate Kevin Love was given the most points, by 120 sportswriters and broadcasters in the United States and Canada, among all power forwards in the league. Love finished with a total of 365 pointswith Griffin (170) and Nowitzki (136) just behind him. Despite being the top power forward in the NBA today, Love still didn’t make the All-NBA First Team since the positions given in each team were in general as in guards, forwards, and a center. No power forwards or point guards, but just forwards and guards in general. With that, league MVP small forward LeBron James finished with 596 points and MVP runner-up small forward Kevin Durant with 591 points causing Love to miss the cut. If the All-NBA teams had been by specific positions (PG, SG, SF, PF, C) and not general positions (G, F, C), K-Love would have made the All-NBA First Team. (I know this is how it works in the NBA ever since, but I just wanted to get that out so people would know how the annual All-NBA teams are created)
Earlier this season Love signed a four-year 60-62 million dollar contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves assuring him and everyone Timberwolves fan that there will a lot of Love available in the state of Minnesota. I mean … he’s just 23 years old … he still has a long way to go.
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