Which 2020 NBA Rookies have superstar potential?

Deni Avdija

There are others who fit into the category of being both a perfect fit for their team and a future star. Deni Avdija and the Washington Wizards come to mind. The Wizards are stacked with scorers, and bringing in the new 6’9” SF/PF and seeing where he fits alongside stars like Bradley Beal, Rui Hachimura, and Davis Bertans is going to be a task. They want him to fit, but Avdija is going to have to play his best game and see if it works in the nation’s capital because it certainly works for the league.

For Avdija, superstardom in basketball isn’t a far-fetched dream. Avdija played at the professional level in Israel before entering the draft and his name headlines this draft class as one who makes it an international-filled one, which includes stars like Killian Hayes and R.J. Hampton. What makes this draft special is its international aspect as noted earlier and also what the players are doing with their experience.

Killian Hayes, the prospect from France, played professionally internationally like Hampton before entering the draft. Hayes carries with his game a love and admiration for the legendary Tony Parker, who is also from France. Killian Hayes is the next Tony Parker, we hope. The way he runs the offense for the Detroit Pistons under the leadership of veteran head coach Dwane Casey and with the surrounding talent could eventually be similar to how Parker was with the illustrious San Antonio Spurs.

It’s only a matter of time before Avdija rises to the top of the ranks as the best amongst the prospects, and this would matter for both the international outlook and his own NBA career. International stars’ careers in the NBA and vice versa has a strong relationship. Playing in the Nation’s Capital will certainly help Avdjia and the Wizards should consider this when going through their playbook and handing out minutes. Of course, the 20-year-old has time to shine and the Wizards may not be his final destination before showing off all of his skills, whom he thanked his dad for tearfully on draft night.

Now, that we’ve gotten some of the background information out of the way, the strengths and weaknesses of this new Wizards star is an interesting list. The strengths of Avdija are on his side with an athleticism that is more along the lines of agility and speed, this will help him more in the future than being an overzealous freak of nature right now. Also, Avdija is strong, so that is probably what limits his athleticism and this is good because he makes up for it and proves he doesn’t have to jump the highest out of the gym but play the fastest and strongest using technicalities to break down the defender.

It also helps that Avdija has strength in ball-handling, which only adds to his mobility and movement across the court. Given that he will be using that a lot to get through the paint, these are the biggest strengths for him and will propel him past his opponents who want to restrict him to certain rules.

Avdija’s weaknesses aren’t a long list, but it’s an important one that includes shooting. It is fun now to see Avdija moving across the paint against elite defenders, but because he is 6’9″ and is in the land of shooting in the NBA, he will want to improve his shooting. His shooting is already good, but it could be great. Now, let’s say Avdija enjoys being the ball-handling, small-ball wing, that is good also, but let’s also say that he needs a jumper or two to not fit into the traditional confines of a euro-step. Avdija’s shooting will ultimately need to improve, so he might as well start now.

Avdija’s playing time should increase given he works on these assets between his teammates, who are playing great individually right now and not as a team. Perhaps, Avdija could add some cohesiveness to the Wizards moving forward.