Kevin Love is a pretty special player. A double-double machine who on offense has smooth moves around the rim to go with shooting range out to the three-point line. He’s as good a rebounder as there is in the game.
So mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the best power forward of them all? (If by all you mean active players. And today the roll of the mirror will be played by Kevin Love in an interview on ESPN 1500.)
He’s right, that should be his mindset. But is he the best? Not in my book.
Here’s my top five list for this season. And to keep it simple I’m going to put Kevin Durant and LeBron James at the three so we don’t count them. Veteran honorable mention go to Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.
5. Blake Griffin (Clippers). He’s just scratching the surface of how good he can be, especially on defense, and he is starting to show it with a better midrange game to go with his high-flying dunks.
4. Pau Gasol (Lakers). Still the guy with best footwork and fundamentals around the basket, a deft passer, a solid midrange game and a better defender than he gets credit for. Plus, he has those rings.
3. Kevin Love (Timberwolves). Offensively he’s a force, but he needs to defend better to move up the list.
2. Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks). It’s almost unfair because he breaks the mold of a power forward, he is deadly from three but he can work from the post. The best pure shooter ever to play the position.
1. LaMarcus Aldridge. This season he has been the best when you consider leading your team at both ends of the floor — 22.7 points per game, 7.6 rebounds and a key part of the Blazers defense. On a Blazers team looking for guys to step up, he has.