The Portland Trail Blazers' 132-119 win over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday was a great example of what this offense can do when it runs through Deni Avdija. Portland's wing finished with 21 points, 12 assists, and 7 rebounds. It was a near triple-double showcasing his well-rounded skill set. Most importantly, the 12 assists were a season high for Avdija, showing he's taking on more of a point forward role with Ja Morant sidelined.
Morant is at risk of missing potentially all of November after suffering a Grade 2 left hamstring strain against Memphis. Portland's active three-game winning streak without Morant proves that they're well equipped to hold the fort down in his absence. Some of that is due to the depth on this roster, but it's also thanks to Avdija's ability to step up in that primary playmaking role.
We saw something similar last season when the Blazers' backcourt dealt with one injury after another, starting with Scoot Henderson getting hurt before the season even started. That resulted in an All-Star campaign and breakout season for Avdija, who was given the green light under Tiago Splitter.
Blazers offense continues to evolve with Deni Avdija at point forward
Now we're seeing what the next iteration of Portland's offense can become under Micah Nori, with a better supporting cast and an offense that revolves around a 25-year-old Avdija who only continues to get better.
Deni Avdija is currently the 7th best player this season, according to HoopsHype's Global Rating. Just in between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Cade Cunningham, right where he belongs. Okay, that's even steep for Avdija, but it shows how hot both he and the Blazers have been.
Last year, the injuries ultimately worked in Avdija's favor by giving him the keys to the offense. We're seeing a similar thing play out with Morant sidelined. Avdija's offense also now has the secondary playmaking and floor spacing of Damian Lillard, who's proving to be the perfect fit as a co-star for Avdija.
But even Lillard and Morant made it clear to Avdija that this was still his team. "Coming in, I told him, 'I want you to be the horse,"' Lillard said. "Ja said the same thing."
That's always the question when you have all these talented moving parts. We've seen it at the highest level, when Miami Heat franchise icon Dwyane Wade took a backseat to LeBron James, and they were ultimately better off because of it. Those clearly established roles and offensive hierarchies were expected to be growing pains for Portland this season. They had a wonky roster that was hard to figure out and a first-year head coach.
But now we're seeing the experience part of Portland's roster play a role. Nori may be a first year head coach, but he's coming in with 28 years of experience. Lillard and Jrue Holiday are the perfect veterans to have in the backcourt, and even Morant is proving to be an underappreciated leader in that regard. All these guards understand they're coming into a playoff team with a working formula established with Avdija.
That was once out of necessity with Portland being so injured, but it turned into a silver lining with Avdija taking another playmaking leap. That point-forward role is what makes Avdija such a difficult matchup, as he's arguably the best player in the league at getting downhill by using his rare combination of skill set, size, and physicality.
It's great the Blazers brought in these other guards to take the playmaking burden off him, but the concern was that they'd take away from those touches or complicate Avdija's role. So far, we've seen their unselfishness and leadership make this a seamless transition for the new-look Blazers, and it's led to a 6-1 start.
They have one of the best offenses in the league right now under Nori, and it's looking even scarier now that Avdija is in this point-forward role where he belongs.
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