Kevin Love has been in the NBA for almost a decade, so he’s seen more than his fair share of the league’s many masters of the crossovers. When asked who he’d pick for best crossovers, Love listed his teammate Kyrie Irving, his former teammate Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose. Irving, of course, is a natural choice. The things he’s able to do with the ball at times surpass what a normal human should be able to do. It’s as if the ball is an extension of his body, responding not to Irving’s hand but the signals from his brain.
Rose, too, is an obvious selection. Though not as fluid as Kyrie, he nonetheless sports terrific control, especially when he executes his wide crossover on the move and it looks like he should lose the ball but of course doesn’t. The ball just sticks to Rose, never threatening to leave his hands unless he asks it to do so.
Westbrook, meanwhile, is an unconventional choice. It’s not wrong, of course, but players like Jamal Crawford or James Harden are usually cited before Westbrook. Love justifies the choice by citing Westbrook’s power, which is interesting. The value of a crossover is usually found in its quickness or speed – power is a secondary thought. But Westbrook’s power is so overwhelming that, even though his crossover is quick and fast, the power is what makes it truly dangerous.
(Via NBA)
