It's almost awards season in the NBA and the Portland Trail Blazers feature a host of key figures at various levels of the organization in the running for hardware.
From President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey to All-Star Damian Lillard to coach Terry Stotts, the Blazers have legitimate options for voters to consider when they fill out ballots for awards ranging from Coach of the Year to MVP.
What's more, odds seem strong that one, perhaps even more, could win. Below is a look at the Blazers' best chances and how they stack up:
Most Improved Player: CJ McCollum
Status: Frontrunner
Stats: 20.9 ppg, 4.2 apg, 3.3 rpg, 44.8 percent field goal shooting, 42.0 percent three-point shooting, 34.8 mpg
Competition: Will Barton, Denver Nuggets; Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors; Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs; Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons
Why he could win the award: The 2013 NBA Lottery pick was finally given a starting role this season and made the most of the opportunity, evolving from a player fighting for a rotation spot into one of the NBA's best perimeter scorers and most exciting young stars. With a versatile and lethal offensive game, he's dramatically improved his scoring, increasing his production from 6.8 points per game to 20.9, and that's not all. McCollum's stats have increased across the board, as his rebounding (1.5 to 3.3), assists (1.0 to 4.2) and steals (0.7 to 1.2) have seen a boost, while his shooting is up in every category. He leads the Blazers in minutes played (2,718), ranks second behind Lillard in scoring and assists, ranks 18th in the NBA in scoring and eighth in three-pointers made (195). He became the eighth player in franchise history to record at least 1,500 points and 300 assists in one season. Most important, McCollum has established himself as a cornerstone of the franchise.
Why he won't win the award: Some will argue McCollum's success is merely a byproduct of opportunity. He was handed the starting shooting guard role last summer and has used the increased role to showcase the ability he always had. But that's nitpicking. As Lillard said Friday, "I think it's a no-brainer that he's most improved." McCollum seems like a shoo-in to join Kevin Duckworth (1987-88) and Zach Randolph (2003-04) as the only players in franchise history to earn the award.
Executive of the Year: Neil Olshey
Status: Frontrunner
Competition: Masai Ujiri, Toronto Raptors; R.C. Buford, San Antonio Spurs; Rich Cho, Charlotte Hornets
Why he could win the award: Olshey didn't merely survive the soap opera that was the Blazers' 2015 offseason, he thrived through it. Juggling the impossible, he formed two free agency plans based on LaMarcus Aldridge's "decision" and executed Plan B to perfection when the All-Star power forward elected to defect to San Antonio. He proactively traded Nicolas Batum, then allowed Wesley Matthews and Robin Lopez to walk, waving goodbye to four-fifths of the Blazers' starting lineup and more than 50 percent of the team's production. Along the way, he stole Mason Plumlee from the Brooklyn Nets in a trade, acquired Moe Harkless for nothing, inked Lillard to a maximum contract extension and signed Ed Davis and Al-Farouq Aminu to reasonable free agent contracts. On top of it all, he traded for a future first-round draft pick at the NBA trade deadline. The Blazers are well stocked with young talent, well positioned financially and well ahead of their rebuilding schedule. The Blazers are supposed to be in the early stages of a painful and lengthy rebuild after the drama of last summer. Instead, thanks to smart, shrewd leadership from Olshey, they are on verge of finishing fifth in the Western Conference — one spot ahead of where last year's team finished.
Why he won't win the award: Olshey was hardly the only front office executive to have a good year. Buford fought off the Blazers and other suitors to lure Aldridge in free agency, signed David West to the veteran minimum and convinced his aging stars to keep fighting for championships. Cho, like Olshey, built the Hornets with clever, if unheralded, moves. And Ujiri has built the Raptors into a power in the East.
Coach of the Year: Terry Stotts
Status: Serious contender
Competition: Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors; Steve Clifford, Charlotte Hornets; Dwane Casey, Toronto Raptors; Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs
Why he could win the award: For all the credit Olshey deserves for constructing the Blazers' roster, Stotts deserves as much or more for guiding the collection of cast-offs to a better-than-expected season. Stotts deftly juggled the franchise's primary focus of development with winning and never wavered in his belief that the Blazers were better than everyone thought. He tinkered with lineups, massaged egos, nurtured the NBA's third-youngest roster and remained positive throughout it all. What's more, his players love playing for him. As the season winds down and the Blazers grow more reflective, multiple veterans — from Lillard to Davis to Gerald Henderson — initiate conversations centered on how important Stotts is to the Blazers' success. Heading into the season, Las Vegas put the Blazers' over-under on wins at 26.5. With two games left, they're 43-37, playing their best basketball of the season and poised to earn the fifth seed in the Western Conference. It's the most unlikely and impressive of Stotts' three playoff berths in Portland.
Why he won't win the award: Golden State could win 73 games, the most in NBA history. It's hard to deny the coach (Kerr) who guided a team to the most wins in the sport's history — particularly one season after he guided the team to the NBA Championship — the title of league's best.
MVP: Damian Lillard
Status: Longshot
Stats: 25.0 ppg, 6.8 apg, 4.1 rpg, 41.7 percent field goal shooting, 37.5 percent three-point shooting, 35.8 mpg
Competition: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors; Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder; Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs; LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Why he could win the award: Since a sellout Moda Center crowd delivered a chorus of "MVP" chants to Lillard late in a February victory over the Brooklyn Nets, the Blazers' best player has been on the fringe of the MVP discussion. Lillard ranks fifth in the NBA in scoring, eighth in assists and third in three-pointers made (222). What's more, he is the undisputed leader of the NBA's most surprising team. The Blazers would not be anywhere near the playoff discussion — let alone flirting with the fifth seed in the West — without Lillard, whose mix of moxie, leadership, talent and consistency make him one of the NBA's best players.
Why he won't win the award: Two words: Steph Curry. The Warriors' star is expected to win in a landslide.
Collected By"https://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2016/04/nba_awards_handicapping_the_trail_blazers_chances.html"
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