Trail Blazers Players Miss Out on Player of the Week Nominations
After a week where two Portland Trail Blazers players were in the running for Western Conference Player of the Week, the team did not have any nominees this week. The honors went to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in the Western Conference and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham in the Eastern Conference. Jokic's impressive triple-double performance led the Nuggets to a 4-0 record, while Cunningham's stellar play helped the Pistons also go undefeated this week.
In the Western Conference, other nominees included Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, New Orleans Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, and Houston Rockets big man Alperen Sengun. Eastern Conference nominees featured Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pistons center Jalen Duren, Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Miami Heat guard Norman Powell, and New York Knicks big Karl-Anthony Towns.
Last week, forward Deni Avdija and guard Jrue Holiday represented the Trail Blazers as nominees. Avdija had a strong showing this week with impressive stats, but the team's 1-2 record may have impacted his chances of receiving a nomination. Despite his standout performances, Avdija did not secure a nomination this week, leaving the honors to other deserving players in the league.