Deni Avdija got off to a rough start in the Pacific Northwest.
In his first 13 games in a Blazer uniform, he shot 34.6% from the field. One of the two flashy new pieces Portland added to their roster — Donovan Clingan being the other — appeared to be falling flat on his face. He couldn’t get a three-pointer to go down, and even layups were a struggle. Two first-round picks for a three-and-D wing who couldn’t shoot was what fans thought they might have stumbled into.
Once he was shifted from the starting lineup to the bench for Shaedon Sharpe on Nov. 10, things started to pick up, though.
He saw an uptick in shooting, now up to 45.7% from the field on the season, 53.2% in December, and 51.2% in three games so far in January. He also increased his scoring output despite decreasing his minutes. His nine-game double-digit scoring streak from Nov. 17 to Dec. 3 is the second longest on the team (Sharpe’s consistency is developing). Avdija may be on track to beat that streak, as he is building a new one with seven straight as of Jan. 8.
While the switch to the bench role was warranted, Deni’s play on the court from that moment on was pointed in the message he wanted to send. The Blazers often find themselves on the wrong side of NBA odds, but their focus on a better future is what matters the most.
Deni Avdija Shining in Transition
The nickname Portland media is attempting to bestow upon the Israeli wing is “Turbo”.
While it hasn’t quite stuck, the basis of the eponym is obvious: Deni has exceptional talent in transition. At one point, he led the league in highest and one frequency in transition this season, a stat showcasing his combination of strength and speed. His ability to push the pace with the ball in his hands at 6-foot-9, 240lbs, is often startling.
It’s not just his raw athleticism that dictates his abilities in transition— it’s a willingness to increase the pace as well, even when others around him may not be as quick-footed.
Chauncey Billups said in a postgame press conference of Avdija, “when he rebounds he’s like a one-man fast break. We gotta catch up with him, and I tell him ‘if they don’t catch you, it’s your play’.”
Add in his touch around the hoop, emboldened by craftiness and creativity, and you’ve got a true 94-foot threat at your disposal.
https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1875049698886865378
Pillar for Portland’s Future
Having worked through his early-season struggles, it’s clear that Avdija will be a building block for this Portland team that has been soaking up as much talent as possible during its rebuild yet still lacks direct vision.
At 24 years old, he’s got plenty of runway to develop and grow alongside the Blazers’ other young commodities in Sharpe, Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan. Still, his previous four years of play with a down-in-the-dumps Wizards squad have already given him a swath of valuable playing experience. In every one of those first four seasons, his per-game minutes, field goal attempts, rebounds, assists, points, and field-goal percentage all increased year-over-year.
But beyond the stats and playstyle, Deni’s intangibles might be most inspiring. Portland lacks a true vocal leader, and while Deni is the freshest face on the team and the youngest player, he’s expressed his desire for his teammates to play with energy, pace and passion.
He also went out of his way to get the team “retro GameBoys” during the holidays.
https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1872785446989885535
A Coveted Contract
It may not have been his first choice of destination — as Portland rarely is for NBA players — but it’s clear Deni is making a concerted effort to establish himself within the team. That bodes well for Portland because what might be the best part of all about Deni is his contract.
At the end of his tenure with Washington, Avdija signed a four-year, $55 million contract, which puts his average salary at just $13.75 million per year. Of the next four years, his cap hit is the largest this season at $15.6 million. He slots in between Klay Thompson and Grayson Allen in 2025 salaries, but his 2028 figure of $11.8 million would right now put him between Ivica Zubac and Wendell Carter Jr.
There are a handful of things Deni could work on to improve. His defense has been lackluster, at least relative to what he showed in Washington, as he currently has the second-lowest defensive rating on the team. As one of a couple of ball handlers on the roster, he could trim down the number of turnovers. His turnover ratio of 13.8 puts him only above Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan among Portland role players, and he logged ten and seven turnover games in the past two weeks, respectively.
He’s not a polished product, but Swiss Army knife Deni Avdija is a hard worker who plays with passion and energy. He clearly wants to be the focal point of whatever Portland is trying to build.
Hopefully, the rest of the team will keep pace, but when it comes to Downhill Deni, it can be hard to keep up.
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