It wasn’t that long ago when a few “boo birds” were heard throughout Moda Center when it came to Trail Blazers' backup center Meyers Leonard. In fact, it was December 1st of 2017, that those boos rang throughout, aimed at Leonard.

That was last season.

This season has been a year of change for Leonard, aka "The Hammer."

On Wednesday night, Trail Blazers fans clapped, cheered and some even gave a standing ovation as Leonard checked out of the game in the final minute of the third quarter after an impressive night against the Utah Jazz.

Leonard’s performance was very much needed too.

Wednesday night was important for the Trail Blazers as a team. Portland was looking to lock up the tiebreaker against the Jazz, and win an eighth straight home victory.

What made those two feats even more challenging?

Portland was without its starting center Jusuf Nurkic who is now dealing with right knee soreness.

That gave way for Leonard.

Blazers head coach Terry Stotts decided it would be best to start Leonard and match him against Jazz big man Rudy Gobert.

“I thought (Meyers) played a solid game. He was physical inside. Defensively he is one of our better talkers, communicating,” Stotts said.

Over his six and a half years in the league, Leonard had started a total of 40 games. This was his first start this season.

He made sure to make the most of it.

“I always prepare the same. I always try to the play the same. I always come out with the same level of focus and intensity. I just want to help the team win, that’s all there is to it,” Leonard said.

“The most important thing is that we won a very important game,” Leonard added.

In this important tiebreak game that can potentially help down the road with postseason seeding, Leonard set a new season-high in scoring, in just 25 minutes of work, with 16 points. Leonard’s career-high is 24 points, which he set at Oklahoma City on April 13th of 2015.

The Blazers’ 7-footer also had six rebounds and tied a career-high with four assists. Leonard has dished out four assists 10 different times.

He also had the second-best plus/minus on the team with a +23, second only to Damian Lillard’s +29.

There was no doubt in Lillard’s mind that his teammate of the same draft class would be prepared to step up in a starting role.

“He was ready… It’s funny because today at shootaround, me and Meyers were just talking about tonight…We’ve got to be ready tonight and then we found out Nurk wasn’t playing and me and him were sitting here talking and he was like, ‘I’ll be ready’… We talked over some situations, you know, about how Gobert’s gonna be in the paint so in the pick and roll, for him to pop back for the three, be ready to shoot the ball, being active in the paint,” Lillard said.

The Trail Blazers’ locker room was buzzing about how Leonard stepped up.

Evan Turner described Leonard’s game as “amazing.” ET also discussed how, “It was almost somewhat advantageous to us because Gobert wasn’t as assertive defensively. He had to step out. Meyers stepped up and he made some shots and then the paint was open from there and the ball started swinging.”

In Leonard’s past 11 games, Portland is 8-3, while Leonard is shooting 63.8% from the field and a scorching 53% from three. Plus, he is a perfect 6-for-6 from the line over that span, averaging 6.9 points and 3.5 rebounds.

As CJ McCollum pointed out postgame, Leonard brings a different style of play: “He stretched the floor, gave them a different look. Him and Nurk are two different types of players, but I think that him being able to shoot threes and consistently knock them down, it just gave them a look they hadn’t seen from us before.”

Leonard also echoed what Turner and McCollum had to say.

“I think my skill set counters what he’s (Gobert) good at, meaning, I’m a pretty solid screener, so if I get a good hit on their guard, guys like Dame and CJ, who are very good iso-players and are not only able to score, but also able to play-make out of that. If they get a step on their guy, now Gobert has to decide, am I gonna stay at the rim, which he’s used to, and the times that he did, I was open at the three-point line. At the times that he didn’t, I think that our guards were able to get a little more free and get some clean looks,” Leonard said.

Leonard admits that even last season, he might have gotten in his own head a little bit if he was all of sudden called up to start and was only given about a half hour notice.

It’s been no secret throughout Leonard’s career that he can let the mental part of the game takeover.

But not anymore.

“I’ve always put the work in, but there’s been a mental change and a level of confidence in my game that night in and night out I can impact the game and it feels good to know that I’m more alert defensively, my rebounding has been much better and then on the offensive end, there’s less hesitation with shooting,” Leonard said.

What about the nice ovation at the end of third quarter? Did Leonard notice that?

He sure did.

“It feels good to know that maybe some fans have, I guess, seen the work I’ve put in help me on the floor and help us win,” Leonard said.

Leonard acknowledges he can see how fans were frustrated with his game in the past, but he has put in the time and there’s no doubt a switch has been flipped.

“My play has been a bit up and down over the course of my career, but as I mentioned I do feel that, although I still have a lot of things that I can improve on, which is encouraging, I have kind of made that next step towards where I know I can be impactful every night and I’m less indecisive and just more confident in everything I’m doing out there,” Leonard said.

“I always want to win over every single fan. Is that gonna happen? No… But I am to my core a people pleaser and I’d like for everybody to like me, but honestly I do it for myself… And for the team,” Leonard said.

The fans are here for all of that!