The Portland Trail Blazers addressed their most glaring flaw at the trade deadline by bringing in Vit Krejci. The former Atlanta Hawks guard will provide reliable shooting to a Blazers team in dire need of it. While everyone on Portland's roster will benefit from that increased floor spacing, Deni Avdija stands to gain the most.
The Blazers All-Star ranks in the top ten in the association in potential assists (13.9 per game). Most significantly, he ranks first in drives (19.8 per game) by a wide margin. Avdija is having a breakout season, averaging 25.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game on 47/36/80 shooting splits. But he's somehow accomplishing it all despite the Blazers failure to surround him with complementary pieces. That means there's still more to his game to unlock.
Blazers can unlock Deni Avdija with much-needed floor spacing
Avdija clearly prefers to get downhill, where he takes advantage of his rare combination of ball-handling, athleticism, and positional size. He's tied with Zion Williamson on free throws attempted on drives (3.9 per game). Free throws have been a considerable part of his scoring increase, ranking second in the association (9.5 per game) behind only Luka Doncic. He's gaining a reputation as a "free-throw merchant," and that criticism is precisely how you know he's officially become a star.
But Avdija's improved playmaking is an aspect of his game that has flown under the radar this season. He's passing out of drives nearly half the time (49%). The Blazers just aren't making them. Oftentimes, he has to draw fouls in the paint because it's so congested that he has no other choice.
We saw a glimpse of the impact Krejci had in Portland's loss to the Phoenix Suns. Having him out there compared to, say, Kris Murray, was already a significant upgrade on the offensive end just off the threat of him shooting it alone.
Unfortunately, Avdija's lower back strain has sidelined him, and he remains questionable for Friday's matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. We may have to wait to see the full impact of the trade as the Blazers offense has struggled mightily without Avdija. But it's also encouraging as it shows we have yet to see their best basketball.
Having shooting out there should only help Avdija take his game to yet another level. Portland hasn't given teams a pick-your-poison scenario: either leave Avdija in single coverage or help off a knockdown shooter. Now, he should be able to capitalize on his matchup advantages even more.