If the Portland Trail Blazers' first preseason game is any indication, Deni Avdija will pick up right where he left off from last year's All-Star breakout.
Not only did Avdija get a full offseason to recover from a lingering back injury that affected his play down the stretch, but he's also set to benefit from Portland's offseason roster moves. Particularly, the added playmaking from the Blazers' revamped backcourt will make scoring come even easier for him.
Blazers finally surrounded Deni Avdija with playmakers
We caught an immediate glimpse of that in the preseason matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. Portland won 123-118, led by Avdija's team-high 23 points on an efficient 9-of-13 shooting from the field in just 21 minutes.
We have to account for the fact that the Warriors essentially rolled their G League team out there, which made things even easier for Avdija to utilize his matchup advantages. But regardless, it's an incredibly promising start, especially considering how Avdija would be affected by the Ja Morant trade remains a huge storyline to monitor throughout the season.
Morant's unselfish play and elite court vision benefited Avdija more than his overlapping downhill game and paint presence hindered him.
It wasn't always a clean fit in the backcourt, which is to be expected as Micah Nori still has plenty to sort out. Portland's next opportunity to establish more of a consistent connection comes Monday, October 12 against the London Lions -- making history as the first British club to play against an NBA team.
We don't want to overreact to any single game, especially in the preseason against a depleted Warriors team. Still, there are plenty of positive signs that should carry over regardless of who the competition is for Avdija and the Blazers.
There were multiple plays in which Avdija was found as the trailer on the fast break, allowing him to gain a head of steam without the ball to finish at the rim with ease. Wherever he was on the court, and whoever he was playing with on the court, Avdija was always surrounded by ball handlers and playmakers to take some of the burden and attention off of him. It improved his efficiency, which was the plan all along.
Avdija already had a breakout in Portland last season, but now seems to be surrounded by the complementary pieces he lacked last year. Combine that with his offseason to get healthier and only continue to improve at 25, and Avdija appears on track to build off his first-ever All-Star campaign.
Because early on, it appears the Blazers did a better job of putting him in a position to succeed than given credit for, particularly when it came to the Morant trade.
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