Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Kevin Durant: Bettor.com’s 2011-2012 All NBA 1st Team (Part 2) – NBA Feature
Center: Dwight Howard
It has been a disastrous year for Dwight Howard off the court. His trade rumors, his break out with coach Stan Van Gundy, and the eventual season ending back injury that he suffered have all affected the outcome of his and the Magic’s season.
The Magic seemed to be doing quite good in the regular season until the off-court drama began which saw them losing their position in the Eastern Conference. Eventually, without Howard, the Magic finished 6th in the Eastern Conference, and fell 4-1 to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs.
However, despite all that happened off the court, Howard was at his usual best on the court this season as well. This season, Howard averages 20.6 points per game. His 14.5 rebounds are 1st in the NBA and 2.1 blocks per game are 3rd this season. To add to that, he has a field goal percentage of 57.3%, the highest in the NBA this season.
It is extremely difficult to leave him out of the 1st team, which he has been consistently part of for the last four years, despite his off court and injury issues. The defensive player of the year was given to Tyson Chandler last week but in my opinion, Howard dominates the center position like no one else. Chandler averages 11.3 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. How can he be chosen over Howard?
Even as a team, Orlando finished with a better record than New York even though the Knicks had Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, Jeremy Lin and reserves such as Baron Davis.
Small Forward: Kevin Durant
The Runner up for the 2012 Most Valuable Player is the scoring champion for the current season. At an average of 28 points per game, Kevin Durant is a scoring machine. He is the leader of the Oklahoma City Thunder and has led them to the 2nd seed in the Western Conference this season. Durant does more than scoring; he leads his team in pressure situations with big games on big nights.
He also averages 8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game to go with his points, and has a field goal percentage of 49.6%. Durant is the best scorer in the league this season, and the perfect man for a shooting forward.
Power Forward: LeBron James
The reigning MVP of the season, LeBron James was named the Most Valuable Player just a few days ago, the third MVP award of his career. The superstar, who is destined to go down in history as one of the greatest ever, has probably had the best season of his career.
James averaged 27.1 points per game this season, the third highest in the league behind Durant and Kobe. In addition to that, he has 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. James has also been a dominant force on the defensive end this season, averaging 1.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He has a field goal percentage of 53.1 percent to boot, not the mention the incredible influence he bring with him on the court.
In short, LeBron has done everything this season - from jump shots to drives and layups to rebounds and blocks.
Apart from his offense, James was also considered in the defensive player of the year category, recognizing his contribution on the defensive end this season. He has improved to become a defensive force, guarding some of the toughest positions. His role changes from team to team, as he is usually given the responsibility of guarding the strongest player on the opponent team. For all this and much more, James is the MVP and part of the all NBA 1st team in my opinion.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not represent Bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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