Wade, LeBron and Durant crowned NBA Players of the Month
Two-time reigning MVP LeBron James, ace shooting-guard Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and the spearhead of the Oklahoma City Thunders offence, Kevin Durant have been named NBA’s Eastern and Western Conference Players of the month respectively.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade
After an indifferent start to the season, the duo from the South Beach, have finally found their groove. James and Wade have been inspirational in turning Miami’s season on its head, and are one of the main reasons that the Heat are currently riding high,
winning 18 of their last 19 encounters.
The phenomenal superstars have been simply unstoppable this month, making it a December to remember for their franchise. In a record smashing month, the prolific sharp-shooters sparked the Heat to a franchise and league best 15-1 record, and also the most
away wins (10) in single calendar month.
Dwyane Wade finished off 2010 after averaging 27.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 54.3 percent. In doing so, he became only the fourth player since the 1986-87 to achieve the feat.
The highlight of his month came when Wade notched up two 40 plus scores in back-to-back games against the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets. In the month under the spotlight, Wade ranked second in the Eastern Conference in terms of scoring and led
his franchise in scoring and steals overall. The 6ft 4in guard led Miami in posting a team-high score eight times, five times in boards and three times in assists.
LeBron James was not far behind. With Wade leading the offensive onslaught, James has mostly been content in taking the back seat and making all the crucial plays. In an impressive month, which saw him winning the player of the week laurels for the period
from December 20-26, James has lit up the court with a swash-buckling average of 25.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.
James ranked third in scoring in the Eastern Conference during December. The phenomenal forward led the Heat in points seven times, four times in rebounds and a whooping 13 times in assists. The self proclaimed King, posted two triple-doubles in the month.
His first effort came in the form of 32 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against the New York Knicks.
LeBron struck for the second time in the game against the two-time defending champions Los Angeles Lakers. Pitched up against Kobe Bryant in the clash of the titans, James posted his 31st triple-double of his career as he finished with a game-high 27 points,
11 rebounds, 10 assists and a game-high four steals.
Kevin Durant
Durant is the face of the Oklahoma City Thunders. The forward has been in supreme touch this December, topping the league in average points scored per game with 29.4. Marshalling his team to an 11-5 campaign during the month, Durant has been instrumental
in boosting the Thunders to the top of the summit in the Northwest Division.
Playing through the month at a team high average of 37.6 minutes per game, Durant has shot 0.517 from the field, .411 from the long range and .850 from the foul line. He also complemented his shooting prowess with an average of 5.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists
per game in the month under the scanner.
The high point of his month came on Christmas Day, when he poured in a game-breaking effort with a season-high 44 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals in the showdown against the Denver Nuggets.
Other Nominees
The trio of James, Wade and Durant prevailed over an elite group of nominees featuring stalwarts like Dallas’s Dirk Nowitzki, Golden State's Monta Ellis, New York's Amar'e Stoudemire, Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio's Tony Parker and Utah's Deron
Williams.
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