The Portland Trail Blazers officially have their first All-Star since Damian Lillard in Deni Avdija. But as great as Avdija's star ascension has been, every Blazers fan knew he was never on Lillard's level. Or any superstars' level, for that matter.
Unfortunately, we saw that firsthand in the Blazers ' disappointing Game 3 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Playing at home against an inexperienced Spurs team that saw itself without Victor Wembanyama, this was essentially a must-win scenario if Portland wanted any realistic shot of sneaking into the second round.
Yet Portland lost 120-108 as Deni finished the contest with 19 points, nine assists, and six rebounds while shooting 3-of-15 from the field.
That's not even intended to be a knock on Avdija. He's been incredible in what has been a career year, making this an absolute steal of a trade for Portland. The Blazers wouldn't even be in this position as a playoff team had it not been for Avdija's breakout. He's done just about everything to keep this injury-riddled roster afloat throughout the course of the season, thanks to his well-rounded game.
That said, we can credit Avdija while also acknowledging that he was never supposed to be a 1a piece on a contending roster.
Blazers still need a superstar to make a deep playoff run
That's incredibly difficult to do at the NBA level. We're even seeing teams like the Knicks and Suns struggle with Jalen Brunson and Devin Booker as their respective go-to options. Just look at the past teams that have won championships, and history will show you that you need that top-ten player, such as a LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the list goes on and on.
Credit Avdija for drastically climbing in the overall player rankings, as he currently ranks No. 23 on The Ringer. If Avdija can somehow continue this trajectory, it's an entirely different story. But at some point in the playoffs, skillset and raw talent trump all.
Avdija is a great player, but he does tend to over-rely on putting his head down and using his athleticism and positional size to get to the line. He's been fine in the postseason, but he hasn't been his elite self as the physicality increases, diminishing key strengths of his game.
But the thing is, Blazers fans always knew this would be the case. They are happy with Avdija on the team regardless of these "shortcomings". Because if he's not expected to be the primary option of a playoff team, they aren't even shortcomings!
The reality is, Deni is on arguably the most team-friendly contract in the association and has been the biggest reason behind Portland's successful rebuild. Now, it's simply a matter of surrounding him with that true 1a option to propel them to contention status.
Damian Lillard's return next season will help add some star power, but it's unrealistic to rely on a 35-year-old coming off a brutal Achilles tear as a long-term solution. The rest of Portland's young core has shown tremendous strides this season, but this is increasingly starting to feel like a solution they'll need to find externally.
Avdija has already proven he's better suited as a secondary option on a playoff team. And this offseason, the Blazers must find that true 1a solution to make a deep run.
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