The shorthanded Portland Trail Blazers overcame key injuries to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks on the road with a final score of 115-103. Portland's starting lineup was proof that the modern NBA has thrown conventional wisdom out the window -- everyone was 6-foot-6 or taller, and they lacked a traditional point guard. Down two typical starters in Jrue Holiday and Shaedon Sharpe, interim head coach Tiago Splitter rolled out a unit consisting of Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, Jerami Grant, and Sidy Cissoko.
Grant was the standout performer in this contest, recording a season-high 35 points with a ridiculous +39 in 31 minutes. Still, Avdija has emerged as the Blazers' best player this season, becoming their much-needed go-to option as a versatile wing playing at an All-Star level. In fact, it's that versatility that makes Splitter's jumbo lineup work at all.
Deni Avdija gives Blazers the secret ingredient they've been missing
Teams that typically elect to play this big will sacrifice other areas, such as mobility, playmaking, ball-handling, and shooting. Considering Portland is forced to play without almost its entire backcourt, you'd assume that would be a fatal flaw in its unconventional approach. That's where Avdija comes in as the secret ingredient that makes the entire formula work.
At 6-foot-8, Avdija is an absolute matchup nightmare for opposing teams as he has no weaknesses offensively. He didn't have his best game in their win over Milwaukee, finishing with 22 points, five assists, and four rebounds on 6-of-13 shooting. But he didn't need to be a dominant scorer in this game, focusing more on his playmaking with a team-high in assists. Avdija has become the NBA's version of the Pokémon Ditto, shapeshifting to become whatever version the Blazers require at that particular moment.
He's one of the rare players in the league who can effectively play positions one through five (depending on the matchup at center). That combination of size and playmaking has been a significant factor in Portland's ability to remain competitive despite almost half its roster showing up on the injury report. They have just enough playmaking and offensive creation on the court without having to sacrifice their strengths and identity as a team that prides itself on the defensive end with their length, athleticism, and versatility.
The next evolution in Avdija's game is to become one of these jumbo guards more consistently. But judging by the hot stretch in November in which he's averaged 26.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists, he's already closer to that than many realize.
His ability to step up in a point-forward role has been one of the silver linings of Portland's brutal stretch of injuries. Without it, the Blazers wouldn't be able to maintain their identity as a team, which makes them such a difficult matchup on a nightly basis.