NBA: 3 Portland Trail Blazers players who won the Most Improved Player of the Year award

The Portland Trail Blazers are currently one of the most dominant teams in the NBA and compete hard in the stacked Western Conference. The team entered the league in 1970 and has been playing at Moda Center since 1995.

Over the years, several NBA legends like Bill Walton, Scottie Pippen and Clyde Drexler have played for the franchise. They won their first (and only) NBA championship in 1977 and Bill Walton was named the Finals MVP. They beat the Eastern Conference champions, Philadelphia 76ers in six games.

After getting swept by New Orleans Pelicans in the First Round of the playoffs last season, the Trail Blazers are off to a great start this season and are currently 3rd in the western conference.

Let us take a look at three Portland Trail Blazers players who won the Most Improved Player of the Year award.

#3 Kevin Duckworth, 1987-88

Averages for the season: 15.8 points, 7.4 rebounds

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Kevin Duckworth was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1986 NBA draft with the 33rd overall pick. He was traded to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Rookie Walter Berry. He was sensational in his rookie season as he came off the bench and played the role of the backup centre to perfection.

He won the Most Improved Player award only in his second season when he assumed the role of the starting centre as Steve Johnson got injured. He finished the season with averages of 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. He showed his presence in every department and that helped his case for Most Improved Player.

He ended up becoming a two-time All-Star and finished his career with averages of 11.8 points, 5.8 rebounds per game, after playing on five different NBA teams. Duckworth died in 2008 due to heart failure.

#2 Zach Randolph, 2003-04

Portland Trail Blazers v New Jersey Nets

Averages for the season: 20.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists per game

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Zach Randolph entered the league when he was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 19th pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA draft. He spent six years with the franchise and always came up big with consistent performances.

After just averaging 8.4 points and 4.5 rebounds in his second season, Randolph set the stage on fire in the third and finished the season averaging a double-double with 20.1 points and 10.5 rebounds.

The Trail Blazers finished with a record of 41-41 in the regular season and failed to make the playoffs. Over the years, Randolph evolved into an unstoppable player and became a force to reckon with in the paint, dominating the opposition centres and power forwards.

#1 CJ McCollum, 2015-16

Averages for the season: 20.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game

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The Blazers drafted CJ McCollum with the 10th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. He started 3 out of the 100 games he played in the first two seasons and did not enjoy and success and many thought he was a bust.

However, McCollum came back stronger in the third season and started in all the 80 games that he was part of that season and shocked the NBA universe with some brilliant offensive performances.

McCollum won the 2016 Most Improved Player and led the team to Western Conference Semifinals along with All-Star Damian Lillard that season. He is currently one of the mainstays of the Trail Blazers and the team's success is heavily dependent on McCollum's personal success.

Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.