Team USA Basketball: Playing Time Hard To Come By For Kevin Love
Despite multiple injuries to Team USA's frontcourt, Kevin Love has had trouble getting on the court in pre-Olympic tune-ups.
By David Vranicar Jul 24, 2012, 7:57am CDT
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July 9, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Team USA center Tyson Chandler, guard James Harden, forward Kevin Love, forward LeBron James, and guard Kevin Durant during practice at the UNLV Mendenhall Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love hasn't been logging many minutes for Team USA.
Love played just seven minutes in Team USA's 86-80 win Sunday over Argentina, the fewest of any of any player save James Harden and Anthony Davis, neither of whom played. Love grabbed two rebounds and didn't score.
Love logged 15 garbage-time minutes in a 40-point beatdown of Great Britain, and just five minutes in a narrow win over Brazil.
Love's dearth of playing time is perhaps surprising given Team USA's shortage on big men. Dwight Howard is not playing because of the back surgery that cut short his NBA season, and Blake Griffin is out with a knee injury. Davis, the No. 1 pick in this summer's draft, is playing even less than Love.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski has been going smaller, with LeBron James playing big minutes alongside Tyson Chandler, the team's lone true center.
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