Coming off his first All-Star campaign, Deni Avdija has shown his adaptability, filling different offensive roles every game while also making strides on defense to help the Blazers jump out to a 5-1 start.
Despite the arrival of ball-dominant stars in Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, Avdija has remained the Blazers' undisputed top guy, leading the team in minutes, points, and assists per game. While Avdija’s box score averages this season of 23.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, as well as his usage rate of nearly 29%, look nearly identical to last season, they don’t tell the full story.
What has been most impressive about Avdija so far this season is his ability to adjust his playstyle every game to fit the team's needs.
Deni Avdija’s adaptability is raising the Blazers' ceiling
In Portland's opening game, where they dominated the Phoenix Suns 124-83, the reigning All-Star forward flashed the ability to impact the game without the ball in his hands. While the Blazers' guards had the hot hand, with Lillard dropping 25 points and Morant going 6-for-8 from the field, Avdija made his presence felt, pulling down 10 boards to go with four assists and two steals.
But with Morant now sidelined for at least a month after a hamstring injury, Avdija has firmly re-emerged as the team’s point forward and clear offensive focus.
The seventh-year forward showed just that in Monday night’s 118-110 thriller against Denver, where he recorded 29 points and five assists. In a game where the Blazers needed everything they could get to prevent back-to-back losses, Avdija reminded fans why he’s the go-to guy. Avdija looked aggressive, recording a season-high 22 shots and coming alive in a fourth quarter they went into trailing, posting nine points and three assists in the final frame.
For a team that has shown early that it has the talent to truly compete, having a guy like Avdija who can step into any role is crucial for the Blazers’ success this season.
With the additions of Lillard and Morant, as well as the continued offensive development of Toumani Camara, Portland has more talent and floor spacing to take the pressure off the point forward. While it is a small sample size, with less defensive attention, both Avdija’s field goal percentage and effective field goal percentage have improved since last season.
But Avdija has also made strides on the defensive end as well. Avdija’s defense has certainly regressed over the years as he has taken on greater offensive responsibility, but now Portland has the talent to share the offensive load. With more ball handlers to take on offensive responsibility, Avdija has posted the best defensive rating of his career so far this season.
Avdija’s progression has translated into real team success. Through six games, the Blazers rank fourth in offensive rating, ninth in defensive rating, and second in net rating, flashing dominance on both ends of the court en route to a 5-1 start. Avdija’s ability to expand and adapt his game will not only go a long way in securing his second All-Star nod, but also help Portland make the leap from a play-in team to true championship contention.
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