Who were the standout players for the 2016-17 Portland Trail Blazers?
The 2017 NBA Playoffs kicked off this weekend, and the Portland Trail Blazers have a seat at the table.
In early February, it seemed like the team would be on the outside looking in. But a post-All-Star break record of 18-8 helped the Blazers break even and finish the year with a 41-41 record.
The run was first propelled by the acquisition of center Jusuf Nurkic. But Nurkic ended up being sidelined with a right leg fibular fracture for the April portion of the regular season. Damian Lillard then led the way and helped the team make the final push into the postseason.
The Blazers’ effort earns them the no. 8 seed and a best-of-seven matchup against the Golden State Warriors. Game 1 is on Sunday in Oakland, but before the series tips off, let’s take a look at some of the standout Blazers from the 2017 campaign.
The following slides feature team-level versions of the individual player awards the NBA hands out at the end of the season. Those awards include Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player.
The award winners in this article capture the spirit of the actual award. However, there will be plenty of key contributors that did not make this piece. Their impacts on the team will be highlighted after Portland’s postseason concludes.