Playing time and fatigue becoming a concern for Minnesota Timberwolves ace Kevin Love – NBA News
For a team that was doing so well in the start of the season, Minnesota Timberwolves has now lost 12 of their last 16 games. All this is due to the fact that Kevin Love, after the departure of Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio, has
had to hold a lot more opportunity on his shoulders as the season has gone on.
Love averaged a league leading 39.8 minutes, while scoring 26.3 points and grabbing 13.8 rebounds per game, as of 26th March. Kevin has been getting a lot of playing time due to the fact that in the space of one month,
5 of his team-mates have been sidelined with injury.
Ricky Rubio is out with knee injury, Nikola Pekovic has ben troubled by an ankle injury and with J.J. Barea unable to stay healthy, Love`s minutes have increased a lot. He has hardly been off the floor throughout the season. K-Lo
has played 40 minutes, 28 times in the season and all of this work load might be beginning to wear down the All Star forward.
It's tough to try and play Superman every night," an exhausted Love said after scoring 29 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in 43 minutes Wednesday night in a loss to the Warriors.
His figures are still impressive but the tiredness is beginning to show as it took him 28 shots to score 29 points while the NBA three-point champion went 0-7 from beyond the arc against Golden State. His movement has also been
slow as it takes him a lot of time to get back in transition while he is also slow while running the floor on offense.
Love also leads the league with double-doubles, 46, an astounding number. He has had a great month of March as he is the only player to lead the league in points, rebounds and three pointers for a whole month in NBA history.
All this playing time in comparison to him staring only 59 games in the first two seasons of his career while complaining openly about the lack of playing time he was getting with the Wolves, the tables seem to have turned for
Love, as now there`s hardly even time to breath.
The All star, forward`s figures do show that he has risen up to the opportunity but the mental and physical toll might be too much to handle on a day-in, day-out basis on such a high level of competitiveness .
There is also the chance of the Wolves only hope to chase down a post season spot might get injured. Wolves are currently two and a half game behind on the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Let`s say, even if the Wolves somehow qualify for the playoffs. With their star player drained out, what chances do Minnesota have in the playoffs?
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