Portland Trail Blazers not in finalists for any end-of-season NBA awards

The NBA announced the three finalists for each end-of-season award on Wednesday. For the second year straight, no Blazers players qualified for any.

This year’s NBA awards show is on Monday, June 25. That night, the league will also publish the complete voting results.

Until then, fans must discuss which of the three finalists is most likely to win each award. Blazers fans are deprived once again as no player qualified for the second consecutive year.

Here’s the complete list:

Most Valuable Player:

Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans.
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers.
James Harden, Houston Rockets.

Most Improved Player:

Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers.
Clint Capela, Houston Rockets.
Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Nets.

6th Man of the Year:

Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets.
Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers.
Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors.

Defensive Player of the Year:

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers.
Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz.
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans.

Rookie of the Year:

Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers.
Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz.
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics.

Coach of the Year:

Dwane Casey, ex-Toronto Raptors.
Quin Snyder, Utah Jazz.
Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics.

Portland Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard – MVP

Only one Blazers player had the potential to make a finalist position. While the complete results aren’t public, Damian Lillard likely finished in the top-five for MVP voting.

A lot of journalists place him on their All-NBA First Team. Also, his scoring during the 13-game win streak in February and March turned a lot of heads.

Ultimately, Anthony Davis’ play after DeMarcus Cousins went down for the season outdid Lillard’s. The playoff sweep didn’t help Dame’s case either.

Shabazz Napier – MIP

Shabazz Napier showed major improvement in his first season getting consistent minutes. He filled in for Lillard a few games and led Portland to a few crucial victories.

However, he faded down the stretch and only played in two of the four playoff games. With guys like Victor Oladipo leading weaker teams to the playoffs, Napier stood no chance in the MIP race.

Terry Stotts – COTY

Once again, Terry Stotts led a team “in year three of five of a rebuild” to the playoffs.

Portland almost reached the 50-win mark for the first time since 2014-2015. Led by Stotts, the Blazers also won the Northwest Division and placed third in a crowded Western Conference.

Even though he briefly appeared to be on the hot seat, Portland elected to keep Stotts around. We’ll know on June 25 where the tenured coach finished in COTY voting.

Next: Potential Blazers draft picks at each position

The Blazers’ end-of-season awards drought continues. Hopefully next year an established sixth man, impressive rookie or insane season from Lillard can get Portland back in the mix.

In the end, winning games matters, especially in the playoffs. These awards mark personal achievements, but the Blazers need to focus on team success first (cough Russell Westbrook cough).