Here's a hot topic: Who is the best power forward in the game? A handful of players of varying experience levels can make a case for top dog, but none stronger than the ones for Blake Griffin and Kevin Love.
Love recently stated that he thinks he is the best 4 in the NBA right now. "It's me," he said. "If you want to be the best you've got to believe you're the best." That's one vote for Love. But is he right? We'll break this one down by looking at how the two players stack up in different key skill areas.
Shooting
Scores (out of 10): Love 10, Griffin 6
Leaping ability
Scores: Love 8, Griffin 10
Rebounding
Scores: Love 10, Griffin 9.5
Quickness
Scores: Love 7.5, Griffin 8.5
Running the floor
Scores: Love 8, Griffin 8.5
Defense
Scores: Love 7.5, Griffin 7.5
Ball skills (Non-shooting)
Scores: Love 8.5, Griffin 9
Love on Griffin
"Against me he's always going to win the athleticism battle, but I'll be in there fighting against him," said Love. "I try to take away all of his easy baskets, especially in transition. That's more easily said than done, because he's going to get those. When he's getting those dunks that gets him into a rhythm. You don't want him to put the ball on the ground going to the basket, either, because you almost have to foul. But right now he's not shooting his free throws well, so it might be a good idea. When he figures it out, he'll be a beast. I hope he doesn't figure it out."
Griffin on Love
"You have to force Kevin into tough shots by pressuring him and getting a hand in his face, or he's just going to hit big shots all night," said Griffin. "Underneath he's so tough. He's one of the best at getting position and he's really hard to move. I try to get a body on him whenever possible. Like everybody else, I just try to be physical with him and make him work harder than he wants to for everything he gets. The guy is just a big-time player."
Conclusion
Final score: Love 59.5, Griffin 59
Griffin gets the lion's share of the headlines and attention, but the simple fact is that right now Love is the better player. Love's offensive game is far more advanced than Griffin's and his prowess from behind the arc makes him a more versatile threat, as well as the Timberwolves' No. 1 option to take the last shot. Right now Griffin is no more than the Clippers' fourth option to take the final shot for the win.
Love is an anomaly. There simply hasn't been a player like him. Last season he was the first player in NBA history to average 15 rebounds and shoot 41 percent from the 3-point arc. This season he's on pace to become the first player since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1990 to average 24 points and 14 rebounds.
On top of everything, he gets solid marks for his durability, as he's averaged 71 games per season in his first three seasons, an excellent number considering the amount of pounding his body takes. (It should also be noted that after the knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 2009-10 season, Griffin hasn't missed a single game since.) What's more, Love is also leading the league in minutes and displaying excellent leadership skills on a team full of talented but inexperienced players.
Griffin is an immense talent, but right now Love is the better player.
Chris Palmer has been a frequent contributor to ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com's NBA coverage since 1999.
Love recently stated that he thinks he is the best 4 in the NBA right now. "It's me," he said. "If you want to be the best you've got to believe you're the best." That's one vote for Love. But is he right? We'll break this one down by looking at how the two players stack up in different key skill areas.
Shooting
Scores (out of 10): Love 10, Griffin 6
Leaping ability
Scores: Love 8, Griffin 10
Rebounding
Scores: Love 10, Griffin 9.5
Quickness
Scores: Love 7.5, Griffin 8.5
Running the floor
Scores: Love 8, Griffin 8.5
Defense
Scores: Love 7.5, Griffin 7.5
Ball skills (Non-shooting)
Scores: Love 8.5, Griffin 9
Love on Griffin
"Against me he's always going to win the athleticism battle, but I'll be in there fighting against him," said Love. "I try to take away all of his easy baskets, especially in transition. That's more easily said than done, because he's going to get those. When he's getting those dunks that gets him into a rhythm. You don't want him to put the ball on the ground going to the basket, either, because you almost have to foul. But right now he's not shooting his free throws well, so it might be a good idea. When he figures it out, he'll be a beast. I hope he doesn't figure it out."
Griffin on Love
"You have to force Kevin into tough shots by pressuring him and getting a hand in his face, or he's just going to hit big shots all night," said Griffin. "Underneath he's so tough. He's one of the best at getting position and he's really hard to move. I try to get a body on him whenever possible. Like everybody else, I just try to be physical with him and make him work harder than he wants to for everything he gets. The guy is just a big-time player."
Conclusion
Final score: Love 59.5, Griffin 59
Griffin gets the lion's share of the headlines and attention, but the simple fact is that right now Love is the better player. Love's offensive game is far more advanced than Griffin's and his prowess from behind the arc makes him a more versatile threat, as well as the Timberwolves' No. 1 option to take the last shot. Right now Griffin is no more than the Clippers' fourth option to take the final shot for the win.
Love is an anomaly. There simply hasn't been a player like him. Last season he was the first player in NBA history to average 15 rebounds and shoot 41 percent from the 3-point arc. This season he's on pace to become the first player since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1990 to average 24 points and 14 rebounds.
On top of everything, he gets solid marks for his durability, as he's averaged 71 games per season in his first three seasons, an excellent number considering the amount of pounding his body takes. (It should also be noted that after the knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 2009-10 season, Griffin hasn't missed a single game since.) What's more, Love is also leading the league in minutes and displaying excellent leadership skills on a team full of talented but inexperienced players.
Griffin is an immense talent, but right now Love is the better player.
Chris Palmer has been a frequent contributor to ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com's NBA coverage since 1999.
