Deni Avdija just had a star breakout with the Portland Trail Blazers and even has an All-Star selection to show for it. His first two seasons in Portland couldn't have gone better, as this steal of a trade by general manager Joe Cronin has significantly altered the trajectory of this entire rebuild.
But as last season's quick first-round playoff exit against the San Antonio Spurs showed, the Blazers still need help in the star-power department to truly contend. They need to find a true co-star for Avdija, whether that's Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, or someone else not currently on this roster.
In the meantime, the Blazers can also expand their ceiling through the continued improvement of Avdija, who only continues to get better at just 25 years old.
A healthy Deni Avdija would raise the Blazers' ceiling
By the standards of the newly raised bar he set for himself, Avdija had a decent playoff showing against the Spurs. It was encouraging that the physicality and downhill game translated into his ability to put his head down and use that size matchup to get to the line. That's not always the case when physical players reach the postseason.
But what would've really helped Avdija's game in the postseason was a reliable three-point shot. With Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama anchoring the middle for San Antonio, it's imperative to space the floor to give your team a chance to even get a shot off.
Avdija wasn't horrible from beyond the arc, finishing the series with 35 percent. But you could see he wasn't the confident three-level scorer Blazers fans grew accustomed to seeing in the first half of the season. That was even apparent in the volume, which was 6.0 per game in the regular season compared to 4.0 in the playoffs.
Unfortunately, that was a predictable outcome for Avdija and the Blazers, as their newest All-Star was dealing with a lingering back injury that clearly was negatively affecting his shot. Post All-Star break, Avdija was connecting on just 23.5 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. We saw that affect his entire offense as a three-level scorer.
Deni Avdija's All-Star breakout is just the beginning
Coming over from the Wizards, Avdija's recently improved three-point shot was the biggest question mark surrounding his game. After hovering around 31 percent in his first three seasons with the Wizards, his three-point efficiency skyrocketed to 37.4 percent in his final season in the nation's capital.
Some claimed Portland bought high on a fluky shot, which even appeared to be the case early on with the Blazers. Fortunately, Avdija's shot came around, opening up the rest of his game and letting him play to his strengths as a matchup nightmare who's impossible to cover when you also have to respect him on the perimeter.
That shot has become much more consistent in Portland, which, paired with his point-forward role as someone initiating more of the offense now, resulted in the first of hopefully many All-Star seasons for Avdija. Back injuries are typically tricky, but if this offseason gave him the time he needed to return to pre-All-Star form, it wouldn't be surprising to see Avdija take his game to yet another level this season.
Despite an All-Star breakout, Avdija seems to be somehow entering the 2026-27 season underrated. Part of that could be due to Portland receiving more national spotlight as their postseason run aligned with Avdija's back injury, when he was playing at his worst this season.
Last season's was just the beginning for Avdija, who, when healthy, is one of the most difficult players to cover in the league.
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