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Portland Trail Blazers: Best candidates for 2018-19 NBA awards

By Ty Delbridge

PORTLAND, OR - MAY 1: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers, center, Neil Olshey, the team's general manager, left, and head coach Terry Stotts pose with the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy after Lillard won the 2012-2013 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year award on May 1, 2013 at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - MAY 1: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers, center, Neil Olshey, the team's general manager, left, and head coach Terry Stotts pose with the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy after Lillard won the 2012-2013 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year award on May 1, 2013 at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Portland Trail Blazers might not be in the running for the championship this season, but they have a talented roster and could have some guys in the discussion for some end of the season awards.

When it comes to the end-of-season player awards, the Portland Trail Blazers have had their share of players take home some NBA hardware over the years. The most recent was CJ McCollum being named the 2015-16 Most Improved Player of the Year.

McCollum was the third player in franchise history to win the Most Improved Player of the Year award. The two others were Zach Randolph in 2003-04 and Kevin Duckworth in 1987-88.

When it comes to the Sixth Man of the Year award, only one player in Blazers history has been named the winner: Cliff Robinson in 1992-93. Portland has never really had a big-time impact player come off its bench. They usually find guys like Pat Connaughton, Thomas Robinson, Steve Blake and Ed Davis to come off the bench to play small roles.

Portland has never had a player win the Defensive Player of the Year award, but have had some talented defenders on its team in the past. Bill Walton, Buck Williams, Lionel Hollins and Maurice Lucas made the All-NBA Defensive First team during their careers. If Greg Oden did not get hurt, he could have been a guy who was in the running for the award.

The award Blazers players have won the most is the Rookie of the Year award. It has been won four times in Portland’s history: Geoff Petrie in 1970-71, Sidney Wicks in 1971-72, Brandon Roy in 2006-07 and Damian Lillard in 2012-13.

It has been 41 years since the Blazers have had their only guy in franchise history named the NBA’S Most Valuable Player. Bill Walton took home the award after the 1977-78 season, averaging 18.9 points, 13.2 points, 5.0 assists and 2.5 blocks per game. There have been some good Blazers who could have won the award if things had gone their way, like Clyde Drexler, Arvydas Sabonis, LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy and now Damian Lillard.

Heading into the 2018-19 NBA season, let’s take a look at what players on this current Blazers roster have the best shot at winning one of these awards at the end of the year, and the odds of them actually winning the award.

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