Grizzlies.com
We caught up with 2008 NBA draft candidate Kevin Love after today’s workout. Here’s what he had to say:
The measurements in Orlando were kind of odd because you had almost a two-inch difference from your height in socks to your height in shoes. Were you wearing special shoes or something?
No, the last time I checked you play in shoes. Actually, I have pretty flat feet so I have orthotics in there. I thought there was a bit of a discrepancy, but we did the high measurement today and there was only a difference of an inch and a quarter. That’s more like I thought I would measure. I had never measured out under six-eight before the pre-draft camp.
How do you approach the height thing?
You guys were watching. I can score out there. People can look at the measurements and the numbers and their eyes will light up, but at the end of the day you have to be able to make a jump shot, make a play, make a pass, make a free throw and make decisions. You still have to be a basketball player. Some people draft on those numbers, but I don’t necessarily believe in that because I’m kind of an old-school guy. At the end of the day can you play basketball?
Would you miss the glamour of Los Angeles if you were here in Memphis?
Not at all. It’s funny: when I was choosing my agent, Jeff Schwarz, he took me to the W Hotel, which is a prominent hotel there. There’s a big pool scene there and all these girls and he asked if I had ever been there before. I told him I hadn’t, and I had never been to Hollywood or any of that. I wouldn’t miss it at all. I mean I’d miss it, but wherever I go is going to be my new favorite city.
Anybody you like to compare yourself to or mirror yourself after?
Obviously it would be somebody like Tim Duncan because he wins so much and he’s the big fundamental. Obviously there won’t be another Tim Duncan for a long time, but just the way he plays the game. He’s really fundamental, but he’s not really “athletic” as people like to say. Probably Duncan, Carlos Boozer or Elton Brand is who I would like to pattern my game after.
Do you think you’ll be a different NBA player than you were in college?
I think so. I was able to lean-out after the college season. I was able to eat better just because I wasn’t playing games at 7:30, getting back to the hotel and having not the greatest cuisine in the world at 12:00 at night. I got on a great diet, got myself in the gym and that’s just something that I’ll have to keep doing to improve and get better.
You played a lot in the middle at UCLA. Do you think you will be used exclusively at the four in the NBA?
I think that I can definitely guard the five just because I’m strong enough. I have to get quicker to play the four. On offense, I’ll get to play inside but my biggest advantage will be like Boozer or Brand playing in the high-post where I can shoot it, face-up, and maybe hit the three a little bit.
What part of your game doesn’t come out in a workout like this?
I’d say the shooting, the perimeter shooting. I was glad I got to show that at the end because I can shoot the NBA three pretty well. Memphis has done their homework, and hopefully they’ve seen a lot of that.
Do you get a sense of their enthusiasm in you?
Sometimes they kind of put their poker face on, sometimes they brighten up, sometimes they’re kind of dull. They’re going to make their decision in the next couple of weeks, but I just had to come in here have a great interview last night and a great workout today.
What is it about the outlet pass? How did that come about, that Kevin Love is known for the outlet pass?
I played baseball as a pitcher. I never played football, but I always wanted to be the quarterback on the football team. It just kind of developed into basketball. My name is Kevin Wesley Love, and my middle name came from Wes Unseld. He used to throw that as well. A big center at UCLA before me was Bill Walton, and he was good at that too. I got to throw the ball to Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook all year so it was fun watching them grab the ball and run.
Will you have to adjust that pass from college to the pros because you’ll have super-athletic 6-8 guys in the middle of the floor that you have to throw over. Will it be as effective?
It might not be as effective but I think we’ll get some points off of it. It’s definitely going to be an adjustment, like you said, but that’s just part of the learning curve for me. I definitely think, even if the guy is at half-court, if we can get a three-on-two or two-on-one at the other end then it’s a good thing.
What, if anything, did what you learned at UCLA prepare you for the NBA?
Toughness and also character. On the court, I’d definitely say defense because coach Howland emphasized that the whole year. In high school you kind of get to sit back a little bit, block shots. I still think I’m a good defensive rebounder and can block the shots, but in college with hedging out and switching, I definitely think that I improved my team defense throughout the year.
View Grizzlies.com's draft profile of Kevin Love.
View photos, watch video of the workout and read player quotes at Grizzlies Draft Central.
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