2011-12_Oklahoma_City_Thunder_season
2011–12 Oklahoma City Thunder season
NBA professional basketball team season
The 2011–12 Oklahoma City Thunder season was the 4th season of the franchise's existence in Oklahoma City as a member of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Quick Facts Oklahoma City Thunder season, Head coach ...
| 2011–12 Oklahoma City Thunder season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Conference champions | |||
Division champions | |||
| Head coach | Scott Brooks | ||
| General manager | Sam Presti | ||
| Owners | Professional Basketball Club LLC | ||
| Arena | Chesapeake Energy Arena | ||
| Results | |||
| Record | 47–19 (.712) | ||
| Place | Division: 1st (Northwest) Conference: 2nd (Western) | ||
| Playoff finish | NBA Finals (lost to Heat 1–4) | ||
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |||
| Local media | |||
| Television | Fox Sports Oklahoma | ||
| Radio | |||
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The Thunder continued to build on recent success in previous years by making the NBA Playoffs, first defeating and sweeping the defending NBA champions, the Dallas Mavericks, in four games in the First Round, then defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the Semi-finals, and finally, defeated the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the Western Conference finals to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1996, when the club was based in Seattle.
In the NBA Finals, the Thunder faced off against the Big Three-led Miami Heat, who made an appearance in the previous NBA Finals, but lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six games. Despite winning Game 1 in the NBA Finals, the Thunder would then go on to lose the next four games and the NBA Finals against the Heat.
Other season highlights included forward Kevin Durant's third consecutive NBA scoring title, and Durant being named the MVP of the All-Star Game. Following the season, James Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets.
Draft picks
Main article: 2011 NBA draft
More information Round, Pick ...
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College/Club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Reggie Jackson | PG |  United States |
Boston College |
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The Thunder had only their own first-round pick entering the draft.[1] The Thunder traded their 2011 second-round pick in the Latavious Williams trade with the Miami Heat back in 2010.[2] The Thunder ended 2011 NBA draft night with Boston College guard Reggie Jackson.[3]
Trades
On December 13, the Thunder traded Robert Vaden, a 2012 second-round pick and a 2013 second-round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Lazar Hayward. Presti said on Hayward that his "toughness, length, and shooting are attributes that will add depth to our roster."[4]
On December 19, the Thunder traded Byron Mullens to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for a 2013 second-round pick. Mullens only played in 26 games over two seasons being stuck behind Kendrick Perkins, Nazr Mohammed and Cole Aldrich.[5]
Free agency
Main article: List of 2011–12 NBA season transactions
For this offseason, free agency began on December 9, 2011, due to the 2011 NBA lockout. Daequan Cook was set to hit restricted free agency. On December 9, Cook agreed to a two-year, $6.5 million deal to re-sign with the Thunder.[6][7] On December 13, Ryan Reid signed a deal with the Thunder. Reid was originally selected 57th overall in the 2010 NBA draft but did not a sign a contract in the 2010–11 season, instead playing the season with the Tulsa 66ers.[8]
On December 24, the Thunder waived Nate Robinson. Robinson opted to stay in his hometown Seattle after spending most of his Thunder tenure on the bench.[9][10]
More information Players, Coaches ...
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster |
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More information Western Conference, # ...
Conference
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Division
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Preseason
More information Game, Date ...
| 2011 pre-season game log | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Pre-season: 2–0 (home: 1–0; road: 1–0)
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| 2011–12 season schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Regular season
More information 2011–12 game log Total: 47–19 (home: 26–7; road: 21–12), Game ...
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Playoffs
See also: 2012 NBA Playoffs
More information 2012 playoff game log, Game ...
| 2012 playoff game log | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First round: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
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Conference Semi-finals: 4–1 (home: 3–0; road: 1–1)
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Conference finals: 4–2 (home: 3–0; road: 1–2)
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NBA Finals: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3)
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| 2012 playoff schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular season
More information Player, GP ...
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Aldrich | 26 | 0 | 6.7 | 52.4% | - | 92.9% | 1.8 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 2.2 |
| Nick Collison | 63 | 0 | 20.7 | 59.7% | 0.0% | 71.0% | 4.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 4.5 |
| Daequan Cook | 57 | 22 | 17.4 | 36.8% | 34.6% | 63.6% | 2.1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 5.5 |
| Kevin Durant | 66 | 66 | 38.6 | 49.6% | 38.7% | 86.0% | 8.0 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 28.0 |
| Derek Fisher ≠ | 20 | 0 | 20.4 | 34.3% | 31.4% | 92.9% | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 4.9 |
| James Harden | 62 | 2 | 31.4 | 49.1% | 39.0% | 84.6% | 4.1 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 16.8 |
| Lazar Hayward | 26 | 0 | 5.4 | 34.2% | 28.6% | 58.3% | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1.4 |
| Serge Ibaka | 66 | 66 | 27.2 | 53.5% | 33.3% | 66.1% | 7.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 3.7 | 9.1 |
| Royal Ivey | 34 | 0 | 10.4 | 35.6% | 34.0% | 12.5% | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 2.1 |
| Reggie Jackson | 45 | 0 | 11.1 | 32.1% | 21.0% | 86.2% | 1.2 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 3.1 |
| Eric Maynor | 9 | 0 | 15.2 | 35.9% | 35.3% | 100% | 1.4 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 4.2 |
| Nazr Mohammed | 63 | 1 | 11.0 | 46.7% | 0.0% | 56.5% | 2.7 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 2.7 |
| Kendrick Perkins | 65 | 65 | 26.8 | 48.9% | - | 65.2% | 6.6 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 5.1 |
| Ryan Reid ‡ | 5 | 0 | 3.4 | 80.0% | - | - | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.6 |
| Thabo Sefolosha | 42 | 42 | 21.8 | 43.2% | 43.7% | 88.4% | 3.0 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 4.8 |
| Russell Westbrook | 66 | 66 | 35.3 | 45.7% | 31.6% | 82.3% | 4.6 | 5.5 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 23.6 |
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- Led team in statistic
After all games.[11]
‡ Waived during the season
† Traded during the season
≠ Acquired during the season
Playoffs
More information Player, GP ...
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Aldrich | 5 | 0 | 5.0 | 44.4% | - | 50.0% | 2.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| Nick Collison | 20 | 0 | 16.6 | 64.7% | - | 42.9% | 3.4 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 3.5 |
| Daequan Cook | 16 | 0 | 6.8 | 37.8% | 33.3% | 0.0% | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 2.3 |
| Kevin Durant | 20 | 20 | 41.9 | 51.7% | 37.3% | 86.4% | 7.4 | 3.7 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 28.5 |
| Derek Fisher | 20 | 0 | 22.3 | 41.5% | 37.5% | 100% | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 6.3 |
| James Harden | 20 | 0 | 31.5 | 43.5% | 41.0% | 85.7% | 5.1 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 16.3 |
| Lazar Hayward | 5 | 0 | 3.6 | 66.7% | - | - | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 |
| Serge Ibaka | 20 | 20 | 28.5 | 52.8% | 25.0% | 72.2% | 5.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 9.8 |
| Royal Ivey | 5 | 0 | 4.2 | 36.4% | 40.0% | 50.0% | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 2.2 |
| Nazr Mohammed | 8 | 0 | 10.4 | 50.0% | - | 50.0% | 2.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 2.3 |
| Kendrick Perkins | 20 | 20 | 25.9 | 41.6% | - | 80.0% | 6.2 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 4.7 |
| Thabo Sefolosha | 20 | 20 | 22.3 | 40.2% | 32.7% | 88.9% | 2.7 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 5.3 |
| Russell Westbrook | 20 | 20 | 38.4 | 43.5% | 27.7% | 80.2% | 5.5 | 5.9 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 23.1 |
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- Led team in statistic
After all games.[12]
Individual game highs
More information Category, Player ...
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Awards
More information Date, Player ...
| Date | Player | Award |
|---|---|---|
| January 3, 2012 | Kevin Durant (1/3)[13] | December 25–January 1 Player of the Week[lower-alpha 1] |
| January 30, 2012 | Russell Westbrook (1/2)[14] | January 23–29 Player of the Week[lower-alpha 2] |
| February 2, 2012 | Kevin Durant[15] | All-Star[lower-alpha 3] |
| February 9, 2012 | Russell Westbrook[16] | All-Star[lower-alpha 4] |
| February 11, 2012 | Scott Brooks[17] | Western Conference All-Star Head Coach[lower-alpha 5] |
| February 13, 2012 | Russell Westbrook (2/2)[18] | February 6–12 Player of the Week[lower-alpha 6] |
| February 20, 2012 | Kevin Durant (2/3)[19] | February 13–19 Player of the Week[lower-alpha 7] |
| March 2, 2012 | Kevin Durant (1/2)[20] | February Player of the Month[lower-alpha 8] |
| March 26, 2012 | Kevin Durant (3/3)[21] | March 19–25 Player of the Week[lower-alpha 9] |
| April 4, 2012 | Kevin Durant (2/2)[22] | March Player of the Month[lower-alpha 10] |
| May 10, 2012 | James Harden[23] | Sixth Man of the Year[lower-alpha 11] |
| May 23, 2012 | Serge Ibaka[24] | All-Defensive First Team[lower-alpha 12] |
| May 24, 2012 | Kevin Durant[25] | All-NBA First Team[lower-alpha 13] |
| May 24, 2012 | Russell Westbrook[26] | All-NBA Second Team[lower-alpha 14] |
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More information Player, Duration ...
| Player | Duration | Injury | Games missed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |||
| Thabo Sefolosha | January 3, 2012 | January 6, 2012 | Flu-like symptoms | 1 |
| Eric Maynor | January 8, 2012 | November 1, 2012 | Torn right ACL | 57 |
| Thabo Sefolosha | January 30, 2012 | March 13, 2012 | Right foot surgery | 22 |
| Kendrick Perkins | February 17, 2012 | February 19, 2012 | Knee contusion | 1 |
| James Harden | February 20, 2012 | February 22, 2012 | Sore ankle | 1 |
| Nick Collison | February 20, 2012 | February 29, 2012 | Quad contusion | 3 |
| Daequan Cook | March 21, 2012 | April 1, 2012 | Right MCL sprain | 6 |
| James Harden | April 13, 2012 | April 14, 2012 | Sore right knee | 1 |
| James Harden | April 24, 2012 | April 28, 2012 | Concussion | 2 |
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Main article: List of 2011–12 NBA season transactions
Overview
| Players Added Via draft Via trade Via free agency
|
Players Lost Via trade Waived |
Trades
| December 13, 2011[27] | To Oklahoma City Thunder Lazar Hayward |
To Minnesota Timberwolves Robert Vaden 2012 second-round pick 2013 second-round pick |
| December 19, 2011[28] | To Oklahoma City Thunder 2013 second-round pick |
To Charlotte Bobcats Byron Mullens |
Free agency
Re-signed
More information Date, Player ...
| Date | Player | Contract |
|---|---|---|
| December 9, 2011 | Daequan Cook[29] | Multi-Year Contract |
| January 19, 2012 | Russell Westbrook[30] | Multi-Year Extension |
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Additions
More information Date, Player ...
| Date | Player | Contract | Former team |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 13, 2011 | Ryan Reid[31] | Standard | Tulsa 66ers (D-League) |
| March 21, 2012 | Derek Fisher[32] | Standard | Los Angeles Lakers |
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Subtractions
More information Date, Player ...
| Date | Player | Reason left | New team |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 24, 2011 | Nate Robinson[33] | Waived | Golden State Warriors |
| March 21, 2012 | Ryan Reid[34] | Waived | Tulsa 66ers (D-League) |
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- "2011 NBA Draft". nba.com.
- "Thunder Acquires Pleiss, Williams, Reid andFuture First Round Pick in 2010 NBA Draft". nba.com. June 24, 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Selection of Jackson Adds Depth to Thunder Roster". nba.com. June 24, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- "Thunder Acquires Lazar Hayward". nba.com. December 13, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Thunder deal Byron Mullens to Bobcats". espn.com. December 19, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Thunder Re-signs Daequan Cook". NBA.com. December 9, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Thunder re-sign Daequan Cook". espn.com. December 9, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "Thunder Adds Reid to Training Camp Roster". NBA.com. December 13, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Thunder waive guard Nate Robinson". espn.com. December 24, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Thunder close to completing buyout with Robinson". si.com. December 24, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder Roster and Stats". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
- "2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder Roster and Stats". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
- "LeBron James Named Eastern Conference Player Of The Week". hothothoops.com. January 3, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "Heat's LeBron James, Thunder's Russell Westbrook named NBA Players of the Week". pr.nba.com. January 30, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "Durant Named 2012 Western Conference All-Star Starter". nba.com. February 2, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "Westbrook Named to 2012 Western Conference All-Star Team". nba.com. February 9, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "Scott Brooks Earns Spot as Western Conference Head Coach for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game". nba.com. February 11, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "Knicks' Jeremy Lin, Thunder's Russell Westbrook named NBA Players of the Week". pr.nba.com. February 13, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "Heat's LeBron James, Thunder's Kevin Durant named NBA Players of the Week". pr.nba.com. February 20, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "Heat's LeBron James, Thunder's Kevin Durant named Kia NBA Players of the Month". pr.nba.com. March 2, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "Hawks' Joe Johnson, Thunder's Kevin Durant named NBA Players of the Week". pr.nba.com. March 26, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "Celtics' Paul Pierce, Thunder's Kevin Durant named Kia NBA Players of the Month". pr.nba.com. April 4, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "James Harden Wins Kia NBA Sixth Man Award". nba.com. May 10, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "Serge Ibaka Named to NBA All-Defensive First Team". nba.com. May 23, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook Named to All-NBA Teams". nba.com. May 24, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook Named to All-NBA Teams". nba.com. May 24, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- "Thunder Acquires Lazar Hayward". nba.com. December 13, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Thunder deal Byron Mullens to Bobcats". espn.com. December 19, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Thunder Re-signs Daequan Cook". NBA.com. December 9, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Thunder Signs Westbrook to Multi-Year Extension". NBA.com. January 19, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Thunder Adds Reid to Training Camp Roster". NBA.com. December 13, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Thunder Signs Derek Fisher". NBA.com. March 21, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Thunder waive guard Nate Robinson". espn.com. December 24, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Thunder Signs Derek Fisher". NBA.com. March 21, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- Durant helped the Thunder to a 5-0 start as well, averaging a Western Conference-best 27.4 points (second overall), while shooting .547 from the field and .500 from beyond the arc. Durant opened the 2011-12 campaign with four 30-plus-point performances. He recorded a double-double – 30 points and 11 rebounds – in a 104-102 win over the Mavericks Dec. 29.
- Westbrook led the Thunder to a 3-0 week, including wins over the Pistons and Hornets. Westbrook averaged 22.0 points, 7.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 steals. Oklahoma City’s 120-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 27 was keyed by Westbrook’s 28 points, 11 assists, seven steals and six rebounds.
- Westbrook helped the Thunder to a 3-1 week, averaging 30.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.5 steals. Westbrook scored 28 or more points in all four of Oklahoma City’s games, and posted one double-double (28 points, 11 rebounds) on Feb. 6, in a 111-107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Westbrook connected on a career-high 15 field goals on Feb. 9, during a 106-101 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
- Durant helped Oklahoma City to a 3-1 week which included wins over the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets. Durant averaged 32.0 points and 8.0 rebounds, and shot .585 from the field, .917 from the foul line and .588 from distance. Durant’s career-high 51 points on Feb. 19 propelled the Thunder to a 124-118 win over the Nuggets.
- Durant helped the Thunder to a 12-3 month with the help of seven 30-plus-point scoring efforts. He paced the league, averaging 29.1 points. Against Denver on Feb. 19, Durant scored a career-high 51 points to go along with eight rebounds during a 124-118 win. Oklahoma City’s 12 wins for the month was tops in the league, and the 12-3 record equaled the franchise’s best February in history (12-3, 1972). Durant was named MVP of the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, thanks to his 36-point performance on Feb. 26, during the West’s 152-149 victory over the East.
- Durant’s 29.5 ppg ranked second in the league (Kevin Love, 33.5), his 10.3 rpg ranked ninth, and his 2.0 spg tied for fifth best in the Western Conference as he helped the Thunder to a 3-1 week. Durant, the league’s second leading scorer for the season at 27.9 points (Kobe Bryant, 28.3) tallied 40 points and a season-high 17 rebounds on March 25 in a 103-87 win over the Heat.
- Durant captured his second consecutive Player of the Month award, leading Oklahoma City to an 11-5 record (second in the Western Conference) in March. Durant ranked second in the league in scoring (27.6 ppg), netting at least 20 points 15 times and eclipsing 30 on five occasions. He added averages of 8.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists, and recorded three double-doubles. In a 149-140 double overtime win against Minnesota on March 23, Durant scored 40 points and grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds. Two nights later, in a 103-87 victory over Miami, Durant had 28 points, nine rebounds and season-high-tying eight assists.
- Harden, the third overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, was a model of consistency, scoring in double figures in 58 of 62 contests, while averaging 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 31.4 minutes per game. He topped the 20-point mark on 15 occasions, with the Thunder going 14-1 in those games. He shot .491 from the field, .846 from the free throw line, and .390 from three-point range.
- Durant was named to the All-NBA First Team for a third consecutive season after becoming just the seventh player in NBA history to capture three consecutive scoring crowns. During the 2011-12 season, Durant led the Thunder with 18 doubles-doubles and on Feb. 19 vs. Denver, he recorded a career-best 51 points. During the 2011-12 season, Durant received NBA Player of the Month honors in February and March.
- Westbrook received All-NBA Second Team honors for a second straight season after securing five first place votes and 239 total points. Westbrook currently maintains the longest active games played streak in the NBA (312 games) and registered the fifth highest scoring average in the NBA (23.6 ppg) while leading the Thunder in assists (5.5 apg) during the 2011-12 season.