Love eager to turn the page on rookie year that fell short

MANKATO - Six months later, Kevin Love still remembers more what his rookie NBA season didn't deliver rather than what it did.

Yes, he recites instantly the number of double-double games in points and rebounds -- "Twenty-nine, right?" he said -- he produced because it broke Christian Laettner's unforgettable Timberwolves record for a rookie.

But even after that first 82-game season and a long summer gone by, Love still fairly bristles when he is reminded he was excluded from All-Star Weekend's rookie-sophomore game and left off the league's postseason all-rookie first team.

And as quickly as he can offer that double-double total, he also recalls from memory the number of minutes he averaged in playing 81 of those 82 games.

"Twenty-five," he said. "That's not too much."

Wolves head coaches Randy Wittman and Kevin McHale carefully measured his minutes much of the season -- at least until the final two months, when the team played on without injured Al Jefferson -- both to ensure he didn't flame out and to make a player chosen fifth overall in the NBA draft earn his rookie minutes.

The result was a season in which Love improved month by month but, despite leading all rookies in double-doubles and being named the Western Conference's Rookie of the Month for March, did so in such a deliberate way that he was not chosen for both the rookie-sophomore game and all-rookie first team honors.

This season, on a team that has been remade with Love and Jefferson as its youthful foundation, playing time probably won't be an issue.

"I think, a lot like last year, my success depends on the minutes I play," said Love, who wore a black jersey for what looked like a starting lineup Tuesday afternoon on the opening day of training camp. "If I play five or 10 more minutes a game, I could end up averaging a double-double. There's not too many people in the league who can do that. Al's one of them."

When asked if McHale's approach with him in particular benefitted him last season or if it was too conservative, he answered simply, "Too conservative."

A fresh approach

He also admitted he reported to his first training camp a year ago this week in no shape for such a long professional season.

"Absolutely not," Love said. "I'm 20 pounds less coming into camp than I was last year. It took me a month and a half, two months to get into shape last season. Coming into training camp in shape this year really is going to help me in the long run."

Wolves new basketball boss David Kahn calls Love "remarkably sleeker."

New coach Kurt Rambis terms Love's physical condition "OK" and "good enough" for what Rambis will expect from him on a team instructed to run, run, run this season.

"His playing time is going to be up to him," Rambis said. "If he does things I ask him to do, he'll get playing time. If he doesn't do those things, I'll find somebody else who wants to do that. Kevin is a very receptive basketball player. He wants to be a tremendous basketball player. He spends the extra time on his footwork, on his timing, on trying to understand what we're going to expect from him.

"He has the chance to be on the floor if he does all the right things for extended minutes this year."

Those things include featuring his passing -- particularly his unique ability to fling outlet passes far up the floor -- and shooting skills. Rambis opened training camp Tuesday morning by installing the basics of a fast-break offense that will introduce elements of the "triangle" offense his mentor, Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson, has used to win a record 10 NBA titles.

"The offense itself, particularly the triangle, is tailor-made for him," Rambis said of Love, who turned 21 earlier this month. "A big guy who can handle the ball, who can shoot, who can pass, who can score inside. He's going to have all those opportunities."

And presumably for more than 25 minutes a game this season.

"I sure hope so," said Love, who promised he will be more "mature" in how he prepares for games this season. "That's the plan. I put in a lot of work this summer. I'm a lot more comfortable than I was last year. I can feel it. It's so much different. If I'm not stopped by limited minutes, I can definitely benefit this year."