The Trail Blazers suffered a disappointing loss to the Spurs in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday night, but the takeaways don’t have to be all doomy and gloomy. Deni Avdija, unsurprisingly, had a fantastic game for Portland, dropping 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists with just two turnovers.
The 30-ball stands out, as this was Avdija’s first career playoff game. Equally as impressive as the figure itself, though, is how he got there. Deni went 12/21 from the field and attempted just six free throws, a slap in the face for those who have called him a free throw merchant this season.
Deni Avdija just proved he doesn’t need free throws to score
Throughout his first-time-All-Star campaign, Avdija has been unable to shake free throw merchant allegations. His FGM total (492) only exceeded his FTM total (489) by three in the regular season, and he finished third in the league in free throws made per game.
Now, the “merchant” claims are generally made only by casual fans online, and ultimately don’t have much real merit. If a guy averages 24 points on a playoff team, who cares how he got those buckets?
That said, though, the playoffs are notorious for being more physical than the regular season, with refs being more willing to just let guys play. For Deni, that means he’ll need to find other ways to score, and that’s exactly what he did in Game 1.
Avdija attacked the rim as relentlessly as ever, even with Victor Wembanyama in the paint, but instead of hunting foul calls, he finished right through defenders. The 25-year-old is one of the best slashers in basketball, full stop, and he proved that for the umpteenth time while also draining two pretty triples.
If anybody out there watched this performance from Deni and still left thinking he can only score at the free throw line, they probably shouldn’t be allowed to talk hoops again.
Ironically, Avdija may need to draw more fouls for the Blazers to win
Ultimately, getting to the line is one of Avdija’s biggest strengths, even if it’s not the most fun to watch. And, generally speaking, free throws are the most efficient way to score in basketball.
Moving forward in this duel with the Spurs, Deni is going to need to stay aggressive and do what he does best, which is forcing defenders to foul him because they can’t stop him otherwise. He’s one of the few guys on this team who can consistently generate their own offense. Racking up free throws is one of the main ways he does so.
If the Blazers are going to stand a chance against San Antonio, they’ll need Avdija to ignore the outside noise and lean into his bread and butter.
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