No offense intended, but Love - Jordan/Bryant? Chalk and cheese. Remember, Kobe had 3 rings before Gasol joined.
The other primary difference is that Love has come right out and said he's aiming to win the rebounding title. That smacks of hubris for me.
And it's not speculation that his defense is worse. That's simply fact. I've seen him not rotate so that he can be in a better position to rebound.
You also mistake me: I'm not saying that they'd be better off without him, just that they'd be better off with him playing a team-first brand of basketball.
http://with-malice.com/ - The half-crazed ramblings of a Lakers fanatic in Japan