The first trimester of the 2016-17 NBA season has been underwhelming for the Trail Blazers and their rabid fan base, mainly on the defensive side of the ball. However, the season is not full of negatives. This column will take a deep dive into the internal ‘Trimester Awards’.
Most Valuable Player:
Nov 11, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) strolls back on defense after scoring a basket against Sacramento Kings in the second half at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Damian Lillard
Is anyone really surprised? This was the easiest award to decide without question. Lillard has taken the reigns as the teams franchise face since LaMarcus Aldridge departed for San Antonio. Not only has he taken the keys, but he has relished and embraced the challenge by establishing an infectious chemistry that has created a bond within the roster. He has been the heralded leader, MVP candidate and his impressive numbers are evident of that (27.7-4.8-5.7 while shooting at 45-37-89 percentage splits). Need I say more?
Most Improved Player:
Sep 26, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless (4) poses during media day at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Maurice Harkless
‘Hark’ has been a revelation since the day Neil Olshey acquired him from Orlando and his improvement has been analyzed. He has emerged as the unsung third option for this Blazer roster with his new and improved shot, and it seems like Harkless is a steady piece you can count on game in and game out. He’s currently averaging career-highs in minutes (31.1), points (12.7) and rebounds (5.3) per game this season.
Even when he’s shooting poorly, Harkless is consistently fighting for extra possessions (2 offensive rpg), defends his man, reliable in the team concept, and he’s also putting out 100% every game. His motor has been questioned in the past, but it seems as if he’s turned that page for an organization that has made a $40 million commitment to him. Heart, motor and work ethic are thankless intangibles in a ‘flashy’ game like the NBA. An 8% increase in his 3 point percentage doesn’t just happen overnight. The organization may have not viewed Hark as the third highest scorer at the start of the year, but his continued rise has been a pleasant surprise for Portland.
Sixth Man of the Year:
Oct 25, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Allen Crabbe (23) takes a jump shot Portland Trail Blazers in the first half at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Allen Crabbe
After one third of the way into his first season of a newly minted 4 years, $75 million contract, ‘AC’ has brought back mixed results. He did not carry through his form from last season to start the year, but he has since picked up his performance. He’s averaging 9.7ppg, 3rpg, 1.2apg while shooting 40.6% from the arc. The upswing in form has his average at 12.4ppg while shooting an outlandish 54.5% from three in December. AC has been one of the few bright sparks off the Blazer bench that has seen many moving pieces (due to injury), but he offers the Blazers consistent 3-and-D type production.
There are still tweaks Crabbe needs to make defensively such as maintaining his focus and becoming a more active weak side defender, but his ability to fight over screens with his quick footwork remains an asset to their porous defense. He will never be the elite perimeter defender as long as he maintains his slender build, although you can argue Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu can cover those primary assignments. AC has large expectations to live up to as the Blazers’ second highest paid player, but there is no reason why he can’t make himself an invaluable asset as a premium 3-and-D athlete.
Defensive Player of the Year:
Nov 4, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea (5) drives to the basket against Portland Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8) during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Al-Farouq Aminu
‘Chief’ has not had the start to the season that he had probably hoped for, but he remains a key member to this Blazer defense. He has only played about half the games this season due to injury. This is a huge reason for the awful defensive output from Portland this year. Aminu is having a down year in just about every shooting percentage and statistical category, except for rebounds, blocks and steals. Leaving the offensive side out of this, there is no surprise that the upticks are defensive statistics. By putting the microscope on his defense with the help of advanced statistics, many eye-opening numbers spring to our attention.
He is leading the team in defensive real plus-minus (1.88) where he ranks 6th in the league among SFs. The fact that there is a Blazer that is in the top 10 is astounding, let alone one that is positive. This ranks above guys like Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder and Kawhi Leonard. His versatility and length makes him valuable where each time he contests an opponents shot, he’s decreasing their percentages of success by 6.6%. Only 38.3% of attempts that Aminu contests are converted into points. That is the best by any Blazer by a fair distance. These metrics display the importance Aminu has to their defense and overall success, and if the Blazers are to challenge for a 4-6 seed, Chief will 100% be playing an integral role.
Best Newcomer:
Nov 17, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Evan Turner (1) looks to attack the basket against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
Evan Turner
This award was the most limited, while also difficult to decide the criteria. Most of the candidates have struggled to meet eligibility for the award. Festus Ezeli has yet to debut while Jake Layman and Shabazz Napier have not logged enough minutes. Tim Quarterman is signed purely for insurance so by the process of elimination, ‘ET’ takes the award. I will take some time to give him some credit though. I may be one of the few still left on ‘ET optimist island’, but that’s because how strange Terry Stotts uses him.
Turner is most effective when he has the ball in the NBA’s bread and butter offense – the pick and roll. He is averaging 0.82 points per possession as the pick and roll handler with 3 possessions a game. CJ McCollum is at 0.88 but features in double the possessions. ET ranks above guys like Goran Dragic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, while shooting 28.3% on spot ups off the ball. The numbers tell the whole story. Lillard and CJ could use the helping hand as they are chewing up 57.3% of Blazer possessions. The law of diminishing returns play a factor. Reduce the volume of the duo and it will have the correlation of higher efficiency. It could reduce their fatigue, and more effort can be attributed defensively. Get the best out of both worlds. Give ET the rock. Let him operate in his natural habitat.
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