FanShot

CBSsports.com's Eye On Basketball NBA Elite 100

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Kevin Love comes in at number 8. "It starts with the rebounding, of course. He's either the first- or second-best overall rebounder in the game (depending on how you feel about Dwight Howard), and he's the best offensive rebounder. But the development last season that helped launch Love into MVP contention was his transformed body and improved overall offensive game. Shedding weight and improving his quickness, Love was used all over the court by new coach Rick Adelman, who replaced Kurt Rambis. Encouraged to bomb away from deep, Love attempted more than five 3-pointers a game, knocking down 37.2 percent. Those are astonishing numbers for a 6-foot-10 player best known previously for banging in the paint. But Love didn't go soft here. Instead, he got to the free throw line a career-high 8.4 times per game, good for second in the league behind Howard. The difference: Love knocked down 82.4 percent of his shots compared to Howard's 49.1 percent, making him a late-game weapon from the stripe rather than a Hack-a-Love liability."