Portland Trail Blazers: Midseason Awards

With the NBA season more than halfway through, let’s honor the Portland Trail Blazers who have made the biggest impact so far this season.

Wouldn’t it be great if the Portland Trail Blazers won every regular season award? Well, that’s exactly the fantasy that will play out in this little midseason reflection. With more than half of the season in the books, I honor the Blazers’ Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year, and Rookie of the Year.

For some of these categories, the choice will be obvious. Because of that, I also include a runner-up to each award to hopefully make this exercise all the more interesting.

Let’s get into it.

MVP: Damian Lillard

The MVP award itself is one clouded in debate. Not only are all the candidates deserving but arguments also ensue over what it actually means to be the “Most Valuable Player” in the NBA. Should the award go to the best, most talented player? The one who is having the best statistical season? The one who has the greatest effect on his team?

Thankfully, when picking Portland’s MVP, I could choose the player who checks all of these boxes: Damian Lillard.

Dame leads the team in points (26.1) and assists (6.1) per game. He also holds the most win shares (6.5) for the club. Putting constant pressure on each and every opponent, he impacts the game with his dynamic offense, ability to make plays for others, and leadership both on-and-off the court.

As a perennial All-Star and All-NBA candidate, Lillard is the heartbeat of Rip City.

Runner-up: Jusuf Nurkic

As Jusuf Nurkic has improved his play throughout this season, there’s an argument to be made that he is the Trail Blazers second most important player. This year, he is averaging a double-double with 14.9 points and 10.4 rebounds on .504 shooting. Since the new calendar year, these numbers balloon to 16.3, 11.4, and .565.

Now, this isn’t to say that CJ McCollum is chopped liver. Yes, the sixth-year guard is shooting the worst three-point percentage of his career (.341). However, he is also shooting a better true shooting percentage this year than last (.543), and the Blazers are 11.1 points better per 100 possessions with him on the court.

But within the context of the team, McCollum may factor more as the mashed potatoes while Nurk plays more like an entree. McCollum has added to a high-powered starting crew, but so has Nurkic and advanced metrics show he is making a bigger impact on the floor than CJ too.

Where McCollum ranks fourth in win shares for the team (3.1), Nurkic ranks second (4.9). Nurkic also holds the team’s best box plus-minus with +5.4, while McCollum sits in eighth with -0.6. With the Beast on the floor, the team is 16.7 points better per 100 possessions.

McCollum may still be the team’s second most “talented” player. Nurkic, however, has a larger capacity to contribute for the club, even when his shot isn’t falling. The Blazers need him for his post presence, rim protection, high-post passing, and glass cleaning.