On Thursday the All-Star reserves were announced. For the second straight year, Russell Westbrook was selected as a reserve. Westbrook averaged 22.3 points per game and 5.9 assists per game. Many coaches consider Westbrook a top three point guard in the league.
Coaches voted for the reserves, and they had a tough task in this lockout-shortened season, when they were given only about 25 games to evaluate players. That threatened those who weren’t ready to go after the lengthy offseason and brief training camps, and have played below their usual standards
Kevin Durant was selected as a starter for the Western Conference. Durant had the fifth most votes for an All-Star with 1,345,566 votes. Trailing only Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Lebron James and Dwight Howard. It was Durant’s third straight All-Star selection. Second straight as a starter.
This is the second straight season that the Oklahoma City Thunder had multiple All-Star selections. It’s the first time in franchise history that it’s happened in consecutive years dating back to the Seattle days. In 1998, Seattle sent Vin Baker and Gary Payton to the All-Star game.
The 2012 NBA All-Star game will take place on February 26th in Orlando, FL at the Amway Center.
