The Portland Trail Blazers finally have an All-Star to guide their rebuild in Deni Avdija. It might even no longer be accurate to call it a rebuild after Avdija carried Portland to its first playoff appearance in five years. He almost singlehandedly kept Portland's season afloat, taking on an increased point-forward role to fill the void of their depleted backcourt.
Overall, the Blazers' offense was better off with the ball in the hands of their new best player, but with that transition also resulted in a league-high average of 17.3 turnovers per game. Avdija led the team with 3.4 per game, which tied for 13th most in the league along with Paolo Banchero and Scottie Barnes -- fitting company as three young wings who took on playmaking responsibilities in their respective offenses.
But for Avdija in particular, his aggressive downhill style of play makes it a fine line. Of course, the Blazers want and need him to address his glaring turnover problem as he takes on more responsibility initiating the offense. But they have also wisely embraced those growing pains, knowing that it's ultimately in their best long-term interest to unlock his star ceiling.
Deni Avdija still needs to fix his turnover problem
The highest ceiling of Avdija's game and Portland's roster as a whole lies in utilizing him as a point forward. Offensively, it gives them a key matchup advantage as Avdija is too strong for guards and too quick for forwards. Defensively, Portland has that coveted switchability with Avdija's positional size and ability to guard multiple positions, a key benefit of their roster identity that GM Joe Cronin has established.
The next step is for Avdija to clean up those turnovers without compromising what made him an All-Star this season. Another year of experience playing in this new role should help, as should having more floor spacing with Damian Lillard and any offseason acquisitions Portland makes this summer.
They are different players in terms of skillset, but it's a similar formula that teams like the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers are following with their respective stars, Cade Cunningham and Luka Doncic. With teams hunting for mismatches now more than ever, these rare jumbo guards are the direction the league is headed.
Portland somehow managed to steal away one of their own from the Washington Wizards, and the front office deserves credit for envisioning this star version of Avdija as the focal point of their offense. Portland has a formula similar to Detroit's, with defensive-minded wings and rim protectors; now they just need to add shooting to complete it.
Ultimately, it all depends on Avdija reaching that next level as a point forward who is a more sound decision-maker. Only then can he be considered close to a top-ten player in the league. And only then will Portland have a high enough ceiling to contend.
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