Blazers' Tim Frazier named D-League Rookie of the Year, MVP

His first taste of NBA playoff action isn't the only thing Tim Frazier received in the past few days.

Frazier was named the D-League Rookie of the Year and its Most Valuable Player on Tuesday, news that led to an eruption inside the Portland Trail Blazers' locker room.

"We were happy for him," 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 has quickly endeared himself to the Blazers after getting picked up on March 30, his second NBA stint of the season. Frazier had a six-game cup of coffee with the Philadelphia 76ers earlier in the year, looking impressive enough to warrant a spot on a playoff-bound and guard-starved Portland team.

In 11 games between the two teams, Frazier averaged 5.2 points and 5.5 assists in 21.7 minutes, though he was held scoreless in three Game 1 minutes against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.

But it's his D-League performance that got him his awards, nice as the promotion to the NBA must have been. The Penn State product appeared in 41 D-League games for Maine, averaging 16.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 46 percent overall and 36.4 percent on 3-point attempts.

"It was awesome, man," Frazier said of the award. "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."

Frazier's teammate Alonzo Gee won the D-League's Rookie of the Year award in 2010, ultimately working his way to NBA journeyman status. Frazier is just the second D-League player ever to take MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season, joining Devin Brown from 2003.