Am I the only one totally sick of Love's shtick?

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Im in the "who cares?" camp. Id rather have good basketball players then good guys.

And how's that working out for us? Most of the national media talk about the talent on this team, and wonder why they are underachieving so much. The fact of the matter is we have good basketball players, we just don't have a good leader. Come on, do you really think Phoenix has better basketball players than the Wolves? Look at the 5 they started last night compared to our starting 5 (and don't bring up the bench, because our bench outscored them), and try to make any argument that our guys aren't twice as good. There has to be another reason Phoenix is better than we are, and it's not because they have better players.

Like I said, I am stunned that any player could be such an incredible prima donna to call out two guys for body language after going 4 for 20! And by the way, Adelman has to take some of the blame for allowing this to happen. He, or somebody else, needs to get in Kevin's face and tell him he is bringing this team down, and the record isn't going to change if he doesn't.

Eh I don't see prima donna. If JJ and Dante weren't' engaged at the end like Love said then they should get bitched out. Id rather see some fire and some passion about losing these games then Love giving the typical "well we just didn't execute down the stretch" kind of responses players usually give.

Interesting, though, that if you read Rubio's post game comments, he didn't notice any sulking on the bench. Either he really didn't notice, perhaps because there wasn't any, or he understands enough about basic team chemistry to know that you just don't call out teammates so often.

I really think Kevin wants to win...I just don't think he has any concept of what it means to be a good
teammate. Of course I don't know for sure, but I would bet that there is a lot of negative talk about love behind his back.

It's just a bad situation.

[Phenom]

Im indifferent to what Love said. The timing may seem poor considering his performance but what is he supposed to do? wait until he has a better game and say, " by the way, these guys pouted the other day and its unacceptable." he had to say it when he did. but he also should have said that he and Ricky let the team down. they are the stars and the leaders and made some critical mistakes. loves effort was not up to par with a superstar tonight and Ricky had a horrible turnover. this baseline drive-leaping- out-of-bounds-while-throwing-into-a-crowd move he does is becoming a bad habit.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I just don't agree with the premise that fans are owed honest answers by the players. More often than not, that leads to chaos and losing. And while clichés are maddening and foot-in-mouth gaffes are what give Zgoda an erection, there is a formula for creating a good clubhouse and a winning team. And spouting off to the beat writer every time someone doesn't play up to your standard is a prescription for disaster.

Kevin doesn't understand that what a player says privately and publicly are totally different. If he's upset with Dante and JJ's body language (and I'll point out again that Rubio didn't see anything wrong...hmmmm.), then talk to them directly about it. It's cowardly and cancerous to do it through Zgoda.

Kevin needs a Bull Durham lesson from Kevin Costner on talking to the media. If he had said "Tonight's on me...the team looks to me to bring wins home, and 4 for 20 shooting just won't cut it. I'll be better next time". his teammates would have loved him and tried harder next time. But he just can't do that. Rather than taking personal responsibility, instead he blames two guys for sulking. All this does is creates dissention and unhappiness in the locker room.

I believe the reports that this is a clubhouse on the brink, and I blame Love first, Adelman second, and JJ third. and everyone else fourth for not stepping up as this team circles the drain.

[alexftbl8181 [enjin:6648741]]

Kevin needs a Bull Durham lesson from Kevin Costner on talking to the media. If he had said "Tonight's on me...the team looks to me to bring wins home, and 4 for 20 shooting just won't cut it. I'll be better next time". his teammates would have loved him and tried harder next time. But he just can't do that. Rather than taking personal responsibility, instead he blames two guys for sulking. All this does is creates dissention and unhappiness in the locker room.

If JJ and Dante are going to try harder based on what Love said to the media then ship them out yesterday. These are grown men being paid millions of dollars to perform, why should what Love says affect their effort? Jesus

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Kevin needs a Bull Durham lesson from Kevin Costner on talking to the media. If he had said "Tonight's on me...the team looks to me to bring wins home, and 4 for 20 shooting just won't cut it. I'll be better next time". his teammates would have loved him and tried harder next time. But he just can't do that. Rather than taking personal responsibility, instead he blames two guys for sulking. All this does is creates dissention and unhappiness in the locker room.

If JJ and Dante are going to try harder based on what Love said to the media then ship them out yesterday. These are grown men being paid millions of dollars to perform, why should what Love says affect their effort? Jesus

I have never had any problem with either JJ's or Dante's effort...talent sometimes yes, but not effort. Yeah, I agree that my choice of words "play harder" were wrong. What I meant to say was "play more effectively". A harmonious clubhouse goes hand in hand with harmony on the court, and that harmony leads to close victories rather than the crap we get this year.

I expected the chorus of love for Love. This board has a woody for the numbers he puts up, and frankly so do I. But I can't believe the majority on this board can't see the harm he is doing when he talks to the media. He needs to shut up and play ball. We didn't lose tonight because JJ and Dante may or may not have been sulking (depending on whether you believe Ricky or Kevin). We lost because our best player went 4 for 20. Jesus, if he shoots 25% instead of 20%, we win!

If I were Flip and Rick, I would tell Zgoda that Love is off limits the rest of the year.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I just don't agree with the premise that fans are owed honest answers by the players. More often than not, that leads to chaos and losing. And while clichés are maddening and foot-in-mouth gaffes are what give Zgoda an erection, there is a formula for creating a good clubhouse and a winning team. And spouting off to the beat writer every time someone doesn't play up to your standard is a prescription for disaster.

Kevin doesn't understand that what a player says privately and publicly are totally different. If he's upset with Dante and JJ's body language (and I'll point out again that Rubio didn't see anything wrong...hmmmm.), then talk to them directly about it. It's cowardly and cancerous to do it through Zgoda.

Kevin needs a Bull Durham lesson from Kevin Costner on talking to the media. If he had said "Tonight's on me...the team looks to me to bring wins home, and 4 for 20 shooting just won't cut it. I'll be better next time". his teammates would have loved him and tried harder next time. But he just can't do that. Rather than taking personal responsibility, instead he blames two guys for sulking. All this does is creates dissention and unhappiness in the locker room.

I believe the reports that this is a clubhouse on the brink, and I blame Love first, Adelman second, and JJ third. and everyone else fourth for not stepping up as this team circles the drain.

You have no idea what's being said behind closed doors. None of us do.

For all we know, Love could be a jackass who loves to read himself in print... or he could be completely out of other ideas to reach Barea after 37 attempts to talk to him about it and trying desperately to salvage the season any way he can.

[alexftbl8181 [enjin:6648741]]

I don't see how you can prove how love's comments to the media hurt the team in any way. How the media spins it by talking it up would lead you to believe, but there's no way in telling how much, if any, it affects players. The 0-10 stat is a million times worse to the players then anything love could say

[AbeVigodaLive]

If I were Flip and Rick, I would tell Zgoda that Love is off limits the rest of the year.

That would be an amateur move from a desperate franchise.

You can't be taken seriously as an organization if you do that. It's simply not feasible. And, I don't know why Zgoda is getting raked over the coals by anyone in any of this.

The man is doing his job. Fans like to blame the media for a lot of ills. Some of them are justified. In this case... I don't see how it is. He's the beat writer, he has to report on this story. Kraczynski offered much more pointed commentary in his story today.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

If I were Flip and Rick, I would tell Zgoda that Love is off limits the rest of the year.

That would be an amateur move from a desperate franchise.

You can't be taken seriously as an organization if you do that. It's simply not feasible. And, I don't know why Zgoda is getting raked over the coals by anyone in any of this.

The man is doing his job. Fans like to blame the media for a lot of ills. Some of them are justified. In this case... I don't see how it is. He's the beat writer, he has to report on this story.

I don't disagree at all, Abe. I was being facetious about putting the lock down on Kevin (although they did in the past with his tweeting). and I have no beef with Zgoda...I just wish Kevin wouldn't make his job so easy. I'm all about winning, not drama, and right now we have too much of the latter and not enough of the former.

And by the way, alex and Abe, thanks for getting me through the waning minutes of my layover from hell in gay Paree :) .

[AbeVigodaLive]

If I were Flip and Rick, I would tell Zgoda that Love is off limits the rest of the year.

That would be an amateur move from a desperate franchise.

You can't be taken seriously as an organization if you do that. It's simply not feasible. And, I don't know why Zgoda is getting raked over the coals by anyone in any of this.

The man is doing his job. Fans like to blame the media for a lot of ills. Some of them are justified. In this case... I don't see how it is. He's the beat writer, he has to report on this story.

I don't disagree at all, Abe. I was being facetious about putting the lock down on Kevin (although they did in the past with his tweeting). and I have no beef with Zgoda...I just wish Kevin wouldn't make his job so easy. I'm all about winning, not drama, and right now we have too much of the latter and not enough of the former.

And by the way, alex and Abe, thanks for getting me through the waning minutes of my layover from hell in gay Paree :) .

Punch a local in the face before you leave. I'd appreciate it.