The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Denver Nuggets on the road Monday, 118-110. It turned into a matchup of star duos: Deni Avdija and Damian Lillard for the Blazers vs. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray for the Nuggets.
That's as good a duo as any in the league, but credit Avdija and Lillard for holding their own in the star power department just enough for Portland to come away with the win.
Damian Lillard is stepping up as a co-star for Deni Avdija
Avdija finished with 28 points and 5 assists, while Lillard contributed 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists of his own. Portland's new star duo combined for 19 free-throw attempts, exploiting Jokic's limitations as a rim protector.
It was similar to the success we saw with the guard duo of Lillard and Ja Morant before Morant's injury. Morant's downhill game paired with Lillard's elite floor spacing is an offensive recipe for success.
But as we just saw in the road win in Denver, that Avdija-Lillard pairing takes that to an entirely new level. Avdija is arguably the most physical player in the entire league. He has the size advantage Morant doesn't, giving Portland a matchup edge as a jumbo guard.
Morant still provides value as a playmaker, but last year the silver lining to injuries in the Blazers' backcourt was Avdija's emergence in that point-forward role. Perhaps this Morant injury helps first-year head coach Micah Nori establish the offensive hierarchy, as this win over Denver proves the offense is at its best when the ball is in Avdija's hands.
Why Deni Avdija and Damian Lillard fit so well stylistically
It's also a perfect fit for where Lillard is at this point in his career, coming off the brutal Achilles injury. He's embraced this secondary playmaker role, playing as more of an off-ball guard.
Fortunately, Morant's unselfishness won't be a problem when it comes to getting in the way of this Avdija-Lillard duo. He's shown early on that if anything, he gives his offense a dimension it lacked from last season. But most importantly, Lillard is also showing the Blazers that even at 36, he's capable of stepping up in that co-star role for Avdija.
The reliable shooting never left, which is a clear fit for Avdija, who led the league in drives per game last season at 19.4. That was missing from Avdija's All-Star breakout last season, and he's already doing wonders clearing lanes for his drives.
The Nuggets faced a pick-your-poison scenario more often than not. Avdija is becoming one of those jumbo guards who are a matchup nightmare, like Cade Cunningham and Luka Doncic of the world. But you can't help off Lillard, who remains one of the best shooters this league has ever seen.
The Blazers are running a simple yet effective offense through this two-man game, and it’s working early on as they sit at 5-1. Avdija finally has the co-star he was missing, and Lillard looks like a great fit in that role.
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