As great as Deni Avdija has been for the Portland Trail Blazers, this team can't become a legitimate contender with him as their No. 1 option.
Avdija's All-Star breakout season has helped Portland tremendously in terms of catching up on star power in the Western Conference. However, they still have a long way to go before joining that tier of contenders such as the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, or Denver Nuggets. A major reason is the gap that remains between Avdija and the likes of Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nikola Jokic -- three MVP candidates and arguably the three best players in the league.
Avdija has exceeded expectations this season, giving Portland a realistic shot at the postseason. But the reality is, the Blazers' best player is still in that 20-30 range of player rankings. Teams that have the best player in a playoff series are at a significant advantage. Avdija will never be that for Portland, and ideally would be the Robin to a Batman, contributing to a deep playoff run.
Blazers still need to find a true No. 1 option to contend
As the Blazers' rebuild has proven, that's much easier said than done. Portland started off this rebuild with hopes that top ten picks Shaedon Sharpe or Scoot Henderson would emerge as the face of the franchise. That hasn't been the case as each guard has yet to put it all together, dealing with inconsistent play compounded by untimely injuries. That's also part of the reason the Blazers swung for the fences with Yang Hansen this past summer, as they know their current roster doesn't have enough star power to truly contend.
Finding that 1a option could become even more difficult in the coming seasons. It's great that they have finally established building blocks thanks to their lopsided trades for Avdija and Toumani Camara. The downside of that is the Blazers can't build through the draft as much as a small-market rebuilding team typically would. They may not even have their pick this year in what projects to be a stacked 2026 draft class, with their lottery-protected pick potentially going to the Chicago Bulls.
The best chance Portland has at finding that missing piece could be drafting a star from the Milwaukee Bucks' future draft capital as a result of the Damian Lillard deal. Even then, there's too much uncertainty to rely on that as the only viable pathway to contention.
Who's to say the Bucks are actually bad by then? Even if they are, and Giannis Antetokounmpo finally lands elsewhere, that pick may not be as valuable if the NBA actually changes the draft lottery odds as part of their anti-tanking proposal. Then, there's the risk of a top pick not reaching expectations -- the reason Portland is in this position in the first place.
The good news is, the Blazers aren't yet in purgatory as they have a promising young core that continues to grow together. But looking at those pieces individually, I'm less confident that one of them will eventually become Avdija's co-star.
Hopefully, Portland will find a solution to this problem under new owner Tom Dundon. If left unaddressed, having Avdija as their best player will continue to limit the ceiling of this roster.