Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor not-so-subtlety ripped Kevin Love on Tuesday, saying his former star player will be a third wheel and defensive liability in Cleveland.
Love responded during an interview with ESPN’s “Mike and Mike” morning show Wednesday.
“I think emotions are definitely running high right now. For Glen to say that, I just think that he should be focusing on the players that he just received,” he said. “I mean, he has two of the No. 1 picks in the last two drafts: Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett. He has another guy who can really play in Thaddeus Young.
“I think he got a lot for me. So I’d be focusing even more on that. More than anything, I’m just excited to start my time in Cleveland, get to work with my new teammates, and start with this new family here.”
Taylor added that Love is “foul-prone.” But according to fouls per 100 possessions, Love was the least foul-prone big man in the NBA last season. It’s fine print, but if you look at the bottom you’ll see Love’s name.
Wolves owner Glen Taylor hilariously calls Kevin Love "foul-prone." O, RLY? pic.twitter.com/bCK6PKnavJ
— Mr. Statistician Face Man (@tomhaberstroh) August 27, 2014
According to Basketball Reference, Love has fouled out just one time in his six-year career.
CBS Sports basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb thinks Taylor’s criticism of Love was accurate.
I struggle to disagree with anything Glen Taylor said or the way he said it #Love #Wolves #Cavs http://t.co/wZkrtdw1Q6
— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) August 27, 2014
Gottlieb is one of what seems like a very small group defending Taylor’s critique.
Glen Taylor
beating on KLove? The owner who doomed this hoops hellhole with his own stupidity? Too bleeping precious.— Dan Barreiro (@DanBarreiroKFAN) August 27, 2014
Glen Taylor is talking a lot right now. If only he'd talked this much to other teams before he left Garnett/Love alone with limited talent.
— Myron Medcalf (@MedcalfByESPN) August 27, 2014
Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver destroyed Taylor, picking apart every fault Taylor pointed out. And he summed it up like this:
“News flash to Taylor: Love would be better prepared for handling such criticism if the Timberwolves had been competitive at any point during Love’s six-year career, so this whole line of thinking reflects back upon himself and his own organization.”
SB Nation actually took the time to point out many of Taylor’s faults as owner of the Wolves. The writer says “Taylor is the thread that holds the whole disaster in place.” Taylor’s issues over the years:
- Changing GM’s: Kevin McHale, David Kahn, Flip Saunders.
- Revolving door of head coaches: Flip Saunders, McHale, Dwayne Casey, Randy Wittman, McHale again, Kurt Rambis, Rick Adelman, Flip again.
- Firing Dwayne Casey after a 20-20 start in 2007, only to see McHale and Randy Wittman keep their jobs after winning just 12 of the final 42 games.
- Keeping Kahn around for four years.
- Failing to give Love a maximum five-year contract.
