Rajon Rondo, Russell Westbrook, Tyson Chandler: Bettor.com’s 2011-2012 All NBA 3rd Team (Part 1) – NBA Feature
With the All NBA 1st and 2nd team already discussed, it is now time to name the All NBA 3rd team. Out of all of them, the third team was the most difficult to choose because there were so many options and the competition was fierce. The 3rd team is as follows:
Point Guard: Rajon Rondo
Being on the 3rd team does not do justice to the kind of season Rondo has had this year but the competition is so fierce that Chris Paul and Tony Parker had to come before him. Nonetheless, being on the third team is in no way taking anything away from Rondo.
He has been exceptional all season. He has developed a habit of scoring triple doubles this season and has led his team to a great post All Star Break stretch that saw them solidifying their position in the Eastern Conference. Rondo leads the NBA this season in assists per game at 11.7, which is also a career high for him. He is also averaging 11.9 points per game, up from last year. But the most amazing statistic is his 4.8 rebounds per game, considering he is 6 feet 1 inches.
Rondo has gradually become the leader of the Celtics team, and I personally disagree with the fact that the Big Three of Boston is counted as Garnett, Pierce and Allen. Rondo now deserves to be counted in the Big Three more than anyone else. Rondo faced stiff competition from Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the point guard spot in this team. However, I believe that Rondo is a better point guard as he performs the duties of a point guard better for his team than does Westbrook. Rondo is the ball handler, play maker and a very good defensive player to put pressure on the opponent in crunch situations.
Shooting Guard: Russell Westbrook
As I said earlier, Westbrook and Rondo were is stiff competition for the point guard spot on this team. However, leaving Westbrook out of the team would be criminal considering the season he has had. Plus, he is a point guard who loves to score and his statistics are proof of that. Hence, I decided to give him a spot at shooting guard and Rondo the point guard position.
This in my view, is the perfect balance and the best justice that can be done under the given circumstances. In a remarkable season, Westbrook is averaging 23.6 points, 5.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. His 23.6 points are a career high for him as well.
If it were not for Durant sharing the spotlight with Westbrook, his stats could have catapulted him to a first team spot. He has been that good. Along with Durant, Westbrook has been leading OKC to win after, finishing with the 2nd best record in the West, then sweeping defending champions Dallas Mavericks in straight game, and now just coming off defeating the Lakers convincingly in game 1 of the Western Conference Semi Finals. Westbrook is one of the best guards in the game today.
Center: Tyson Chandler
The defensive player of the year lands the centre position of the 3rd team and I have my reasons why. Chandler has had an amazing season and has lifted the Knicks defense single handedly. But Dwight and Bynum have been better. Both had better statistics than him and Howard took the Magic team to 6th position in the East and that too after closing their season badly with all the off-court drama.
Howard did not have any star player with him. Chandler had Lin, Anthony and Stoudemire and still the Knicks finished 7th. As far as Bynum is concerned, he has been a much more dominant force at the centre position than Chandler.
Nonetheless, Chandler has had a good season, averaging 11.3 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. He has been the defensive leader of the New York Knicks and helped them become an above average team in terms of defensive efficiency. He won the defensive player of the year this season and has also been called for the US Olympic team where he will likely start at the centre position in the absence of Dwight Howard. For all his achievements, Chandler is the centre of the All NBA third team.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not represent Bettor.com’s editorial policy.
Tags: