The 10 Most Valuable Players in 2010-11 post season so far - Part 4
2. Kevin Durant
The two-time NBA scoring champion has shown no signs of slowing down in the post-season. Durant has stepped up from his regular season average of 27.7 points to 31.6 in the play-offs. In doing so, he leads the NBA post-season in
scoring and is the only player to average more than 30 points in the playoffs.
Kevin Durant (KD) has blossomed into a perpetual scoring machine. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, he is a blessing like none other. Now in his fourth season, KD is maturing into a player that can one day lead the franchise to NBA
championship glory. And the way he is playing at the moment, that day might be very near.
A particular highlight in the post season for Kevin Durant has been his game-5 performance against the Denver Nuggets, which sent the Bronchos crashing out of the playoffs. With their season on the line, the Nuggets played a terrific
game and looked to be on course for a win. Kevin Durant, however, refused to follow the script. He erupted with 41 points and simply scorched the Nuggets down the stretch. He then exploded against the Memphis Grizzlies in the game-2 of the Western Conference
semi-finals as the Thunder levelled the series 1-all.
Durant is on fire at the moment, and it is yet to be seen if someone can stop him.
1. Dwight Howard
Perhaps the greatest injustice this post season, has been Dwight Howard’s early send off. A player of his calibre certainly deserved to be involved in the post season longer than just the first round.
Dwight Howard can do a lot with the ball and he did all he could in the playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. His team however failed to pick up the slack, time and time again, as the Magic were shown the exit door by the Hawks
in only six games. The “Superman” put on a truly super show against the Hawks in game-1. He had a mammoth 46 points and 19 rebounds but his teammates let him down on this occasion, and on many others.
The Orlando Magic failed to take advantage of a player who is simply unstoppable on his day - on any day for that matter. Atlanta had no answer to him all series long. He was a giant among men. The Hawks took turns fouling him,
which is all they could have done to stop the intimidating beast. In game-2, Dwight scored 33 with another 19 boards. However his teammates, inexplicably failed to shoot on target again.
It represented a sad end to Howard’s season and has raised questions over his future at the Orlando franchise. Howard is the league’s only, truly, dominant centre and as such a most valuable commodity. He proved his worth again
in this post season.
Honourable Mentions:
There are two players who did not make the list but merit a mention nonetheless. There exclusion from the list is in no way to belittle their contribution. There were many factors to consider when compiling the players and there
were hard decisions made. Only after long deliberation, the list took the shape it currently has.
LeBron James
LeBron James is a truly outstanding player, who can easily fit into most prestigious lists in NBA, this season. He has had a stellar post season averaging 25.4 points and 9.4 rebounds and is arguably the best player in the league.
But, his superstar teammates also share a lot of his load. Saying that, I tried to recognize players, who would have been overlooked otherwise. Also, giving two players from the same team a mention on the list was hard. As such Dwyane, being the leader of
the team, got the nod over LeBron.
Rajon Rondo
The only other player except Chris Paul to average a double-double in points and assists, Rondo has been superb post season. However, his form has dipped against the big boys from Miami as Boston Celtics have lost two straight.
Playing with the legendary Big Three of Boston does have its downsides as well. The Celtics are a well knitted unit, where everyone contributes and everything is about the team. In the circumstances, it was hard to single out one Celtic player for a mention.
Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in the article are the writer’s own personal views and has nothing to do with bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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