On Thursday, Kevin Durant was named to the All-NBA First Team, and Russell Westbrook was named to the All-NBA Second Team. Â Durant won his third consecutive scoring title, becoming the youngest player ever to do so. Â Durant averaged 28 points per game on 49.6% shooting during the 2011-2012 season. Â Russell Westbrook was among the top five scorers during the regular season with an average of 23.6 points per game. Â Both players, along with the Thunder coaching staff, also represented the Western Conference in the NBA All Star Game in February.
Serge Ibaka was also honored this week. Â The NBA announced on Wednesday that Ibaka was elected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team by the association’s 30 head coaches. Â Ibaka averaged 3.65 blocks per game, the best in the NBA, along with 7.5 rebounds per game. Â He also finished in second place behind Tyson Chandler for the Defensive Player of the Year.
Earlier this month, James Harden was named the Sixth Man of the Year. Â Coming off the bench, Harden averaged 16.8 points per game shooting 49.1% from the field. Â He also shot well from long distance with 39% from three-point range. Â Considered part of OKC”s big three, Harden helped lead the team to their 47-19 regular season record for second place in the Western Conference standings.
Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, and Harden are all 23 years old or younger, which gives Thunder fans hope for a bright future in the years to come. Â Now, OKC is preparing for their second consecutive appearance in the Western Conference Finals. Â They will head south to face the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 on Sunday night at 7:30 p.m.