Washington Wizards get “steal of the draft” in Deni Avdija with the No. 9 pick

The Washington Wizards snagged a top-5 talent when they selected Deni Avdija with the 9th pick of the 2020 NBA draft. Here’s how he’ll fit into the lineup.

The Washington Wizards have to be delighted with their first-round selection of Deni Avdija. Avdija had been projected to go in the top-five with many in the industry expecting him to be long gone by the time the Wizards asked NBA commissioner Adam Silver to step to the podium and announce their pick.

The 19-year-old Israeli epitomizes the modern NBA. Standing at 6’9″ but with the fluidity and skills of a guard, Avdija is a do it all player who can cover one through four on defense and make plays on the ball as well as off it.

His combination of size, athleticism, and skill will allow him to slot into a large role right away with the potential to eventually be a franchise cornerstone. Prospects who have a high floor and high ceilings are the best bets to go early on draft night and the Wizards. ESPN draft analyst Mike Schmitz even went as far as to proclaim, “I think this is going to be the steal of the draft, to be honest.”

Outside of the fantastic value, Washington got with the ninth pick, Avdija’s game should make him a natural fit next to Bradley Beal and John Wall. The Wizards have scooped a prospect that fits their current roster and who has the flexibility to allow the Wizards to build any type of team they see fit into the future.

Getting the steal of the draft with the ninth pick has to have Wizards’ fans excited. Let’s take a look at what Avdija will offer the Wizards during his rookie campaign and what type of player he could grow into.

What does Deni Avdija offer the Washington Wizards as a rookie?

NBA general managers have developed an insatiable appetite for jumbo-sized playmakers over the past few years. With the success of Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic and LeBron James’ full-time move to point guard the league has acknowledged that no matter the height of a player if they can pass, the offense needs to flow through them.

Deni Avdija has wowed scouts with his smart passing and ability to create passing lanes out of thin air. Entering a team with two established stars in John Wall and Bradley Beal, Avdija should thrive setting the two up for easy buckets.

A lineup of Beal, Wall, and Avdija will have three playmakers who can get high-quality chances for themselves and others. The Wizards offense was exactly league average last season at 110.9 points per 100 possessions, expect them to challenge for the top-10 this season in that metric.

Avdija’s playmaking ability translates well off-ball where he showed a knack for attacking poor defensive rotations with savvy cuts to get easy looks. The backbone of the best offensive players is their ability to create easy looks, not their ability to hit tough shots.

Scouts are bullish on Avdija’s defense as well, which bodes well for a Wizards team that finished dead last in points allowed per 100 possessions. It is unlikely that Avdija will be a transformative defensive player but his intelligent off-ball positioning and toughness on-ball will provide an upgrade on that end for the Wizards.

Wizards fans should expect Avdija to post massive counting stats in his rookie campaign but it is likely that he’ll feature some of the best plus-minus numbers on the team. Snagging a player with the 9th pick that can instantly make your team better on both ends of the floor is a massive coup for the Wizards.

The floor for a player with Avdija’s profile is a high-end rotation player but his ceiling could be that of a star. These are the areas he’ll need to improve to reach that status and how soon the Wizards should expect it.