Deni Avdija has already taken significant strides towards being the Trail Blazers' go-to option in just his first season with the team. But to continue his star trajectory, he must learn to limit his turnovers.
This season, Avdija had a career-high 2.7 turnovers per game, ranking in the fifth percentile at the forward position. To be fair, many forwards also don't have Avdija's role, as his 23.8 percent usage rate ranks in the 89th percentile. It's also a new role for Deni that he's been quickly learning on the fly.
Deni Avdija has star potential as a point forward
In January, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report quoted Chauncey Billups in a piece discussing the development of Avdija and Toumani Camara (two breakout wings that recently received votes for Most Improved Player of the Year).
"Deni's had some games … he had 10 turnovers one time. These are positions he hadn't been in before. You fall and bump your head a few times before you can learn. Now, this thing is kind of slowing down for him where he's able to make some of those plays," said Billups.
The 2024-25 season has been transitional for the Blazers in more ways than one. Among the most significant developments: Deni has emerged as their clear-cut best player, giving Portland a versatile two-way cornerstone to build around.
The Blazers' rebuild is exciting, with a few promising pieces emerging this season, most notably Avdija. But they need genuine star talent to contend in the loaded West. We've already seen teams like the Memphis Grizzlies get exposed in the playoffs because their star talent wasn't at the level they had hoped.
Perhaps Portland finds that elsewhere if Scoot Henderson or Shaedon Sharpe reach their high ceiling, but this season proved that Avdija is by far the closest to becoming that missing piece for the Blazers.
Avdija's rare combination of size, speed, and court vision gives him tremendous upside as a point forward -- he just has to put it all together. The mark of a potential star is separating yourself from the pack by doing things that others simply can't. Avdija has that in him.
The challenging next step in his development is figuring out a way to play more under control without compromising the "Turbo" aspect of his game, which makes him so special.
If he can find that balance, Avdija will be ready to take on that point forward role permanently in Portland's offense, giving them the star they desperately need.