Who should the Portland Trail Blazers take if they land in the lottery?
By Ty Delbridge
Deni Avdija, Maccabi Tel Aviv
Height: 6’9″
Weight: 219
Position: SF
One of the more unknown players in this draft class is Deni Avdija from Israel. Avdija is only 18 years old and has been playing limited minutes with Maccabi Tel Aviv this year. He is a 6’9″ combo forward that had the size to play both forward spots once he gets older and stronger.
NBA teams will want to see him play a more significant role and more minutes, but he has shown plenty of flashes as a talented player on both ends.
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What makes Avdija so compelling is his ability to create and make plays with the ball in his hands. He is a great passer and is like a point guard in a small forwards body but does need to become a more consistent shooter and scorer off of the dribble.
He can run an offense and will be deadly in the pick and roll over time. Avdija could be the guy handling the ball or setting the screen and then attacking the rim to score or to dish to open teammates. He is very aggressive on both ends of the floor and that will hopefully be something that carries over to the NBA.
The Portland Trail Blazers could use a player with Avdija’s size and playmaking skills in their backcourt and frontcourt. He could bring the ball up the court and let the Blazers guards play off the ball and use their quickness to get open looks.
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His ability and willingness to play aggressive defense is also a huge plus for this Blazers team. Avdija may not be ready to contribute right away, and Portland might not need him to. He has a ton of potential and would be an excellent addition to this young Blazers core.