Tim Frazier named D-League MVP and Rookie of the Year

Portland Trail Blazers guard Tim Frazier has been named both NBA D-League MVP and NBA D-League Rookie of the Year. His former team, the Maine Red Claws, announced his accomplishment via Twitter this afternoon.

Frazier spent 41 games with the Red Claws this season, as well as six games with the Philadelphia 76ers before the Trail Blazers signed him for the remainder of the NBA season on March 30^th. Of all players that spent more than revolving door minutes in Maine (20+ games), Frazier led the team in scoring and assists.

• Maine Red Claws averages: 16.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 9.5 assists (35.6 mpg)

• Philadelphia 76ers averages: 5.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 7.2 assists (28.5 mpg)

• Portland Trail Blazers averages: 4.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists (13.6 mpg)

Frazier, 24, played four years of college ball at Penn State before going undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft. Given the opportunity to find success with the Red Claws as a rookie, Frazier broke through the roof of the D-League and reached the floor of the NBA—an impressive feat for any player in his situation, much less an undersized point guard.

His high-level performance as a Red Claw and ability to keep pace as a Trail Blazer suggest that the newly crowned D-League MVP may have a future at the professional level. The day after the Trail Blazers signed Frazier, they indicated that he will play on their Las Vegas Summer League team and be invited to participate in training camp prior to the 2015-16 NBA season.

Press release

"Portland Trail Blazers guard Tim Frazier has been selected as both the 2015 NBA Development League’s Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year, as voted on by the league’s 18 head coaches. Frazier (6-1, 170, Penn State) played in 41 games for the Red Claws, 40 as a starter, averaging 16.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 9.5 assists, good for second-best in the NBA D-League. Frazier led the NBA D-League with four triple-doubles while also recording 14 double-doubles for Maine. He scored a career-high 34 against the Delaware 87ers on Jan. 3, and led the team in scoring nine times and assists 37 times.“There’s no question about it, Tim had an MVP-caliber season in Maine this year,” said Malcolm Turner, NBA D-League President. “It takes a special young man to be as consistently dominant as he was this season, and to do it as a rookie is even more impressive. It’s fitting that our coaches recognized his hard work and his talent by selecting him as both the MVP and the Rookie of the Year. We look forward to watching his game continue to mature as his NBA career unfolds.”In 11 NBA games (three starts) with the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland this season, Frazier averaged 5.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 21.7 minutes. He dished out 11 assists in his NBA debut with Philadelphia on Feb. 6 to become just the sixth player since 1985-86 to record at least 10 assists in his career debut.Frazier, who signed a contract with Portland for the remainder of the season on March 30, averaged 4.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in five games with the Trail Blazers. He scored 13 points and handed out 10 assists at Dallas on April 15 to obtain the first double-double of his NBA career.During his rookie campaign in Maine, Frazier was named NBA D-League Performer of the Week three times and was selected as a 2015 NBA D-League All-Star.“This season, Tim quickly established himself as one of the league’s elite guards with NBA potential,” said Red Claws Head Coach Scott Morrison. “It was an honor and a privilege to take the court with Tim this season and I hope to be watching his progression in the NBA for years to come.”Frazier becomes the second player to earn MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season, joining Devin Brown who achieved the feat in 2003."

Next: What we learned about the Blazers 4/15-4/21