Tony Parker, Dwyane Wade: Bettor.com’s 2011-2012 All NBA 2nd Team (Part 1) – NBA Feature
With the All NBA 1st team decided in the previous feature, it is now time to ponder over the All NBA 2nd team. Choosing the 2nd team is more difficult than the 1st team because the competition starts to get tougher and the margins of choice become narrower.
Once again, the decision will be made based on the individual statistics of the player as well as the contribution, both tangible and intangible, that the player makes in the success of the team.
Point Guard: Tony Parker
Tony Parker has been the core of the San Antonio Spurs since they became a championship winning team. He has seen much success with the Spurs and has stuck with them since the beginning of his NBA career. After crashing out in the first round last year, Parker had doubted the ability of the Spurs to win the title again, but he made up for his folly by being exceptionally brilliant.
The Spurs found new life after the All-Star break. They have won their last 14 games and 27 of their last 30 to end the regular season. They finished the season at the top of the Western Conference and were tied for the best record in the league with the Chicago Bulls.
Parker has averaged 18.3 points and 7.7 assists per game this season. Although the numbers are impressive, it is the intangibles that Parker brings to the table which make him so dangerous and successful. He is fast on his feet, allowing him to outrun the defense in transition.
Parker is dangerous in fast breaks and also breaks down the defense with his penetration and ball handling abilities. He is the play maker of the Spurs and makes players such as Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili play better by finding them in open positions. He was also a part of the race for the MVP, and finished in 5th place in the MVP ladder.
For his role in making the Spurs come back as a dominant force in the NBA, Parker deserves a spot in the 2nd team.
Shooting Guard: Dwyane Wade
The best shooting guard in the league at the moment says that Dwyane Wade is the one out of all the lot that could possibly replace him at the top. Kobe Bryant thinks highly of Dwyane Wade and why wouldn’t he. After all, Wade has accomplished so much in so little time.
He won the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat in 2006 and was the Finals MVP in that series. Wade has long been a scoring machine for the Miami Heat. In the last two seasons, Wade has had to make some adjustments in his game after LeBron James joined him in Miami. Wade let James run the show and took a back seat, but still has been doing a great job at his position. Even after sharing the ball with James and limiting his role, Wade has averaging 22.1 points, 4.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game this season.
And after Kobe, he is one of the best finishers in the game today. In crunch situations, it is Wade not James, who takes control of the team and guides them to victory. Wade and his Heat finished with the 2nd best record in the Eastern Conference and are already into the Playoffs semi finals. For his scoring and ability to close games, Wade is the shooting guard for the all NBA 2nd team.
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