Blazers vs. Grizzlies
Trail Blazers guard Tim Frazier is the first NBA Development League player since Devin Brown in 2003 to win the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player trophies in the same season.
(Bruce Ely/The Oregonian)
MEMPHIS - There was whooping and hollering coming from the Trail Blazers locker room Tuesday afternoon, and shortly after, there was a long round of applause.
Hardly the sounds one would expect to hear from a team coming off a demoralizing and thorough Game 1 defeat in the NBA playoffs.
But before Tuesday's practice, the Blazers surprised late-season signee Tim Frazier with two trophies - the NBA Development League Rookie of the Year and the D-League's Most Valuable Player Trophy.
"We were happy for him,'' Blazers point guard Damian Lillard said. "It seems like he has been here all season with how fast he has grown onto us. It was a great moment because getting to know him you see how hungry he is to be an NBA player.''
Frazier signed with Portland on March 30 and averaged 4.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in five games. He had 13 points and 10 assists at Dallas in the season finale.
In February, he played six games with the Philadelphia 76ers but spent most of his time with the Maine Red Claws in the NBA D-League. There, the 6-foot-1 point guard averaged 16.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 9.5 assists.
The former Penn State player led the D-League with four triple-doubles and was second in the league in assists per game.
Frazier said he had heard he would be in the running for the two awards, but he didn't want to jinx himself. When he was presented with the trophies in the locker room before practice, he said he was taken by surprise.
"It was awesome, man,'' Frazier said. "To be honest, I'm just a blessed individual to be part of such a great organization, great coaches and great teammates from top to bottom. I didn't know if I was going to get it or not, but to be surprised and given the trophies here by my new team ... just awesome.''
He joins Blazers wing Alonzo Gee as a winner of the league's Rookie of the Year and former Blazer Matt Carroll as a former MVP.
"There's no question about it, Tim had an MVP-caliber season in Maine this year,'' D-League president Malcolm Turner said in a release. "It takes a special young man to be as consistently dominant as he was this season, and to do it as a rookie is even more impressive.''
Frazier is the second player to earn MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season, joining Devin Brown (2003).
All-Time NBA D-League Most Valuable Player award winners:
2014:15: Tim Frazier* (Maine Red Claws)
2013-14: Ron Howard (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)
& Othyus Jeffers (Iowa Energy)
2012-13: Andrew Goudelock (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
2011-12: Justin Dentmon (Austin Toros)
2010-11: Curtis Stinson (Iowa Energy)
2009-10: Mike Harris (Rio Grande Valley)
2008-09: Courtney Sims (Iowa Energy)
2007-08: Kasib Powell (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
2006-07: Randy Livingston (Idaho Stampede)
2005-06: Marcus Fizer (Austin Toros)
2004-05: Matt Carroll (Roanoke Dazzle)
2003-04: Tierre Brown (Charleston Lowgators)
2002-03: Devin Brown (Fayetteville Patriots)
2001-02: Ansu Sesay (Greenville Groove)
All-Time NBA D-League Rookie of the Year winners:
2014:15: Tim Frazier* (Maine Red Claws)
2013:14: Robert Covington* (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
2012-13: Tony Mitchell (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)
2011-12: Edwin Ubiles (Dakota Wizards)
2010-11: DeShawn Sims (Maine Red Claws)
2009-10: Alonzo Gee* (Austin Toros)
2008-09: Othyus Jeffers (Iowa Energy)
2007-08: Blake Ahearn (Dakota Wizards)
2006-07: Louis Amundson* (Colorado 14ers)
2005-06: Will Bynum* (Roanoke Dazzle)
2004-05: James Thomas (Roanoke Dazzle)
2003-04: Desmond Penigar (Asheville Altitude)
2002-03: Devin Brown (Fayetteville Patriots)
2001-02: Fred House (Charleston Lowgators)