With All-Star Weekend upon us, signifying the emotional (if not exactly mathematical) mid-point of the NBA season, it’s a logical time to take a step back, look at the season thus far, and see where it’s taken us. At the same time, we’re also in the heart of award season in Hollywood, with the Grammy’s just getting handed out, and the Oscars around the corner.
Being Portland, we all love our Blazers, and who doesn’t love award shows? So, let’s mix these two wonderful things and hand out some Blazer-themed mid-season awards of our own!
Breakthrough Performer
Starting things off with the guys who are just now starting their careers.
Every year, on just about every team (the good ones, at least), someone defies the preseason prognosticators and bursts through their previously perceived ceiling, becoming a player that even the most seasoned of basketball aficionados never saw coming. Whether that means going from benchwarmer to contributor, contributor to rotation player, or rotation player to star, every player who ever “made it” in the NBA had that moment when it all started to click and the started showing everyone what they always knew they could do.
Nominees:
Allen Crabbe
Meyers Leonard
CJ McCollum
Allen Crabbe was the frontrunner after going from guy-in-suit status to solid spot starter and bench contributor, but, after the impressive run the last few weeks by Meyers Leonard, it’s hard to ignore the formerly much-maligned young big man. Not only has he picked up his scoring and rebounding over the past 20 games (a shade under 8 ppg and 6 rpg, in under 20 mpg), he’s doing so without that deer-in-headlights look that was the calling card of his first couple season’s in Portland.
Suddenly, Meyers Leonard has blown by the “just don’t screw up” stage of his career (a lofty goal many Blazer fans only dreamed he’d ever achieve) and become a full on difference-maker off the bench. If he continues to build upon these past two months (and, there’s no reason to think he can’t), then we all might finally see the potential that the Blazer brass saw in Meyers when they made him their big man compliment to Damian Lillard in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Best New Artist
An award to honor the newest members of our Blazer family … even if only one of the nominees is truly new to the Rose City. However, as much as I have argued for years that Steve Blake has been a “secret Blazer” the past few years while playing all over California, he is technically new to the squad. And, while Allen Crabbe isn’t technically new to the squad, he probably had less impact on the last Blazer season than most players not even on the team.
Nominees:
Steve Blake
Chris Kaman
Allen Crabbe
In a bit of an upset, Steve Blake is our winner for Best New Artist! It’s hard to argue against what Kaman has meant to the new-and-improved Blazer bench this year, keeping the offense afloat during countless dry spells, but, this award is all Blake. While Kaman gets the glory with the points and rebounds, its little ol’ Steve Blake that has been the driving force behind the resurgent bench. His heady plays, calm demeanor, tenacious defense, and timely shot making have rescued the team multiple times already. In fact, he’s been so crucial at times that his play has warranted the creation of the phrase “Steve Blake Game” to signify a game in which he almost single-handedly led the team to victory all by himself (we’re at 3 and counting this year). He’s been so dominant at times, that he’s even spawned a Bat Signal-esque hashtag on Twitter to alert basketball fans across that globe to tune in because a “Steve Blake Game” is in progress: #TheBlakeover.
Simply put, it’s Steve Blake’s world, and we’re just living in it.
Family Guy Chicken Fight Award
In honor of one of the longest running bits on the American television classic that is Family Guy, this award goes out to the player who, through sheer force of will and determination, fights through unbelievably amounts of physical punishment and bodily harm to just keep going … and going … and going.
Nominees:
LaMarcus Aldridge
Nic Batum
Chris Kaman
All three nominees have fought through a variety of injuries to various degrees, and deserve a ton of recognition for their selfless play. However, this award is going to the always debated and never agreed upon, Nic Batum.
While Batum has clearly had a down year, it’s hard to complain too much about a guy who hasn’t just played through a few bumps and bruises, he’s played with a torn ligament in his shooting wrist for most of the season. Think about that for a moment. We’re not talking about a finger, or even a hand here, we’re talking about arguably the single most important body part for a wing shooter like Batum, as every long-distance marksmen will tell you “it’s all in the wrist”. That’s not even considering how much that wrist is used handling the ball, making precise passes to set up teammates, grabbing rebounds in traffic, and deflecting balls on the defensive end, all staples of Batum’s game. Sure, his shooting stats are down, but, the fact that he makes ANYTHING at all with (again) a torn ligament in his shooting wrist is a testament to his total and complete badassery.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Not every award can be strictly basketball-related, so, this award is being chosen in the most literal sense of the words by going to the player who has displayed the best acting chops off the court (sorry James Harden).
Nominees:
LaMarcus Aldridge/Robin Lopez – McLoughlin Auto Mall
Mike Barrett – Wilsonville Toyota
Damian Lillard – Adidas
If it were best musical, LMA and RoLo would have this one locked up, but, it’s Damian Lillard’s star making turn in a series of national Adidas commercials, leading up to the release of his signature line of shoes, that takes this prize home. While he may not always get the best lines in his own commercials, he always delivers them like a pro. Plus, he gets bonus points for not forcing a company to play a home video of himself bullying his neighbors into buying their product, which I’m pretty sure is what Mike Barrett did with his Wilsonville Toyota commercials.
Best Foreign Language Blazer
Of course, what would an award show be without a nod to our foreign friends across the globe? The answer, of course: it wouldn’t!
In years past, the Blazers have had no shortage of foreign-born players to spice up this category a bit. This year, however, the team has a much more domestic feel. Heck, one of their foreign-born players was literally born in the home of our own language, leaving him disqualified from this linguistic-themed category. Which makes this a landslide victory for our favorite Frenchman, right?
Nominees:
Nic Batum
Victor Claver
Chris Kaman
Wrong! In a stunning upset, the winner is Chris Kaman!
(Quick, someone grab Tony Parker before he goes all Kanye on us and storms the stage).
That’s right, our own American-born backup big man is our winner, and not just because Batum has won this award 4 years in a row leading to a great deal of voter fatigue (although, that doesn’t hurt). No, Kaman is winning this award primarily because I am almost 100% certain that he was raised by wolves and his native language is really Caveman. That, and he’s been a huge boost to the offense-challenged second unit, and deserves some recognition.
Best Hair and (personality) Make-up
Another Oscar category that fits remarkably well in a column about the Blazers. This award is all about style, personality and the willingness to rock whatever look you like, no matter what anyone might say.
Nominees:
Meyers Leonard
Robin Lopez
Chris Kaman
In the least dramatic win of the night … It’s Robin Lopez!
Talk about a runaway. Even Meyers Leonard’s wonderful Mo-vember mustache and (probably unfair, but, still hilarious to call out) Beiber-cut isn’t going to take this award away from the man affectionately known to as Fro-Lo. If Kaman still had his scraggly caveman hair to go with his mountain man beard, he might have given Lopez a run for his money, but, in the end, no one was taking this award away from him. Robin Lopez IS hair, and his personality make-up is maybe the greatest fit for Portland since Bill Walton (sorry, Channing Frye, we still love you just the same).
Best Original Screenplay
Like its Oscar counterpart, this award is meant to honor those who may not get all the glory, but, are arguably the most crucial aspect of the movie-making/game-winning process. Because, just like a movie is only as good as its script, a basketball team is only as good as its plays, most of which involve a good solid screen somewhere along the way to make it all happen. So with that, let’s take a moment to honor the unsung heroes of the basketball world who make the winning plays without getting the SportsCenter shout-out.
Nominees:
Robin Lopez (screener) and Nic Batum (play-caller) – just about any game they play together
LaMarcus Aldridge (screener) and Terry Stotts (play-caller) – Lillard overtime inducing 3 vs OKC
Robin Lopez (screener) and Terry Stotts (play-caller) – Lillard inbound alley-oop vs Minnesota
The winners are LaMarcus Aldridge and Terry Stotts for their parts in springing Damian Lillard open for his clutch 3 pointer against the Thunder that sent the game into OT, where the Blazers would pull out one of the team’s most improbable wins of the season. The fun thing with this play, is that it could have also won for Best Adapted Screenplay, as it was basically a re-dux of the play that set up Lillard’s ridiculous shot to knock the Rockets out of the playoffs last year.
Best Performance by a Group or Duo
While individuals get most of the pub in today’s NBA, basketball is a team game, and the Blazers are a great example of that. Sure, they have two All-Stars leading the way, but, it’s the selflessness and teamwork of those around them that make it possible for their stars to shine so bright.
Nominees:
Nic Batum/Robin Lopez
Blazer Bench
Neil Olshey and the Blazers Front Office
While the “Batman and Robin” pick-n-roll of Lopez and Batum is one of the most surprisingly lethal two man games in the NBA, and the Blazer bench has been absolutely huge in keeping the team afloat as seemingly one guy after another goes down with an injury, all credit has to go to the big guy upstairs who’s responsible for it all. No, not THAT “big guy upstairs”, I’m talking about Neil Olshey and the Blazers Front Office! [Tebowing after every basket optional]
Without the shrewd moves of Olshey and Co., there would be no Batman and Robin and there would be no rejuvenated bench. Ever since first setting foot in Portland, it’s seemed that Olshey has had the magic touch when it comes to roster moves, bringing in just the right guy for the moment. Whether it was getting JJ Hickson on the cheap, somehow snagging Robin Lopez for a can of peanuts and a Calbert Chaney rookie card, or bringing in off-the-radar vets like Mo Williams, Chris Kaman and Steve Blake, Olshey has been a modern-day Mister Geppetto with the way he’s pulled strings to build this Western Conference contending roster.
MVB (Most Valuable Blazer)
We finally made it! To the big prize at the end that, like Best Picture or Album of the Year, is the only reason you sat through this unnecessarily long show (hey, we’re only running about 25 minutes longer than planned, though, which isn’t bad for an awards show!). If there is a more coveted award in all of sports and entertainment than the Mid-Season Most Valuable Blazer award, I haven’t seen it. This doesn’t just take into account skills and stats, it weighs things like heart, leadership and team chemistry. This is the award for the guy who is the most Blazer-y of Blazers. The guy who the team just wouldn’t be the same without. This is what we all came for.
Nominees:
LaMarcus Aldridge
Damian Lillard
Wesley Matthews
I really wanted to make an argument for Wesley Matthews and how his sheer will of determination is the heart and soul of this Blazers team, or for Damian Lillard and how he has become a certifiable assassin while leading the NBA in 4th quarter points. That being said, choosing anybody but LaMarcus Aldridge would simply be wrong.
While every one of the Blazer starters plays a crucial role in the team’s success, it all begins and ends with LaMarcus Aldridge. When he leaves the lineup, the beautifully flowing offense of the Blazers grinds to a halt. Even with guys like Lillard, Matthews, and Kaman out there while LaMarcus gets his breather, every point feels like a struggle, rather than a foregone conclusion. That’s why he knew that he couldn’t miss the 6-8 weeks of recovery time to heal the torn ligament in his thumb. Given how hyper-competitive the Western Conference is this year, even if he would have been able to come back before the start of the playoffs, it’s no guarantee that the Aldridge-less Blazers would have even been in the bracket.
Lillard might be the guy getting the shoe deal, the commercials and the pub, but, like Robin Lopez is to hair, LaMarcus Aldridge IS the Portland Trail Blazers. And, that’s why he’s this year’s (mid-season) Most Valuable Blazer.
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