Deni Avdija

[prime1time]

Yes.

I think the Wiz view Rui much like they view Beal coming in. He's a future star and untouchable. They'll tell you he's as good as any prospect in this draft. Maybe they would trade him for Cade but that's about it lol.

I don't know that they feel the same way about Avdija. Deni gets the Otto treatment by Brooks it seems. They don't appear to have a great relationship. Maybe that changes with another coach but a scenario where they move Avdija to get better right now possibly exists... if they feel under the gun to do so.

For the record, I'd be willing to trade either Avdija or Hachimura to move up from #7 to the top 4. This team needs star caliber talent, and the top 4 is where it lies.

I agree with your point that the team values hachimura more than they value Avdija, but I'm not quite convinced they think of Hachimura as a future Beal caliber star. I certainly don't. I think there is a good chance that Hachimura pans out to be a reliable two-way starter, about as good as Tobias Harris. That's nice, but I'd rather have a star.

No team in their right mind would make that trade.

[Illuminaire]

Hachimura has shown enough that some team might think Hachimura + Giddy is better than Green or Kuminga. Maybe. Depends who gets the pick.

[prime1time]

Hachimura has shown enough that some team might think Hachimura + Giddy is better than Green or Kuminga. Maybe. Depends who gets the pick.

Who's Giddy? Regardless, I'd take Green. What's up with the hate? He shot 36.9% from an NBA 3-point line and 82.9% from the ft line. He's already a good shooter and he has an explosive first step. Kuminga you can argue.

[Illuminaire]

I don't think there's any Green hate. He's generally considered to be in the top-4 of a strong draft. But if someone thinks he's too raw or has a bad attitude, you might have a chance to trade up. That kind of thing happens once in a while, so it's always worth kicking the tires!

(Giddy is a tall PG putting up Lamelo-like numbers in the same league, at the same age. He's not as prolific a scorer as Ball, but does other things a little bit better. And just like Ball, he started poorly and then got better game after game while going against professional adults.)

[Dolevi]

What does it mean that he fell into the wrong situation? He's an average shooter at best right now, he can only drive left and he has virtually no in-between game. No team is going to put the ball in his hands and just say create. At best he'll be a secondary ball handler and even then he will need to be able to space the floor and play defense. The reality is he has to improve, a lot. Right now he's not close to being a high-level player.

I will ask you this: Do you think a bad organisation (GM and coach aren't synced with the players they think the team need for now and for the future), with a bad coach (really bad), an organisation who's willing to be competitive more than improving his young talents --- Do you think all these are good conditions for a young talent's growth? Moreover, do you think young players can grow up in their game along side Beal and Westbrook?

Hachimura is different and unique. He will take his shots every game, difficult shots as they may be because he wants the stats and he has a very good offensive game. He can adapt himself to this solistic game because he has the offensive arsenal skills, the skills Deni right now doesn't have (at least not like him). Does it mean Rui will end up as being better player? we can't know that. U need to trust the procces, the progress and improvements players doing over their career. Deni will improve his offensive game, but right now he has a lot of things that many guys in the NBA just don't have. Good instincs, BBIQ, Length and speed (and a good ability to use his length at defense and offense), a very good body control (in both ends of the floor, and despite his height). These are not obvious traits from proffesional players in this league. This is unique. You can't take that away from him when you evaluate him as a player.

[smoothSeph]

Read on Twitter

?s=21

Love the energy from Russ on Deni’s last 2 buckets.

As selfish as Russ can be on the court at times, he seems to be the only one that makes an effort to get Rui and Deni involved.

[nate33]

Read on Twitter

?s=21

Love the energy from Russ on Deni’s last 2 buckets.

As selfish as Russ can be on the court at times, he seems to be the only one that makes an effort to get Rui and Deni involved.

Russ only took two jumpers with more than 10 seconds left on the shot clock.

One of them was a wide open catch-and-shoot 3 off a Beal double-team with 16 seconds left - I can live with that.
The other was an off-the-dribble long 2 with 16 seconds left - a bad shot. He made it though.

That's all I ask of Russ. Just don't shoot any kind of off-the-dribble jumper with 10 or more seconds left on the shot clock. Never do it. First of all, it's an inefficient shot. Secondly, it doesn't allow other players to touch the ball and maybe get a better look, or at least to feel involved in the offense. Russ can always get that shot off when he wants to. It should be the bail out shot if nothing else works, never something to settle for early in the shot clock.

[DCZards]

I thought last night's game was Deni's best performance of the season. He shot the ball with confidence from 3 and made a couple of shots off the dribble.

My favorite play by Deni though was the quick nifty interior pass he made to Rui down low in the second half. I was hoping to see it in the highlight package posted above.

[Dolevi]

Read on Twitter

?s=21

Love the energy from Russ on Deni’s last 2 buckets.

As selfish as Russ can be on the court at times, he seems to be the only one that makes an effort to get Rui and Deni involved.

Russ only took two jumpers with more than 10 seconds left on the shot clock.

One of them was a wide open catch-and-shoot 3 off a Beal double-team with 16 seconds left - I can live with that.
The other was an off-the-dribble long 2 with 16 seconds left - a bad shot. He made it though.

That's all I ask of Russ. Just don't shoot any kind of off-the-dribble jumper with 10 or more seconds left on the shot clock. Never do it. First of all, it's an inefficient shot. Secondly, it doesn't allow other players to touch the ball and maybe get a better look, or at least to feel involved in the offense. Russ can always get that shot off when he wants to. It should be the bail out shot if nothing else works, never something to settle for early in the shot clock.

Totally. One of the best games by Russ this season. Only 5 TO, offcourse Triple double, but also very good percentages from the field. Unselfish plays, looking for teammates and ball movement, shooting less bricks, only when there's no time on the shot clock. That's how he should've been playing all season. Good things happen when you move the ball. Basketball isn't a solistic game.

[badinage]

Deni goes nowhere.

Why, with such a likable kid, and the promise to grow, would anyone think of ditching him? And in his rookie season?? I get it, let’s play amateur GM and be ruthless and calculating, but, um — isn’t fandom about watching young players grow and developing affection for them? This isn’t a scrub. Let’s enjoy the journey with him. Sure, I’d like to win a title or two or seven. And I think Deni can be a key piece of a title team. But only one team each year claims the ring. More realistic — and isn’t that what everyone wants on here, the realpolitik of what is, the cold hard business of evaluation? — is NOT winning, but, maybe, having a team to enjoy, with players that are not sulky or selfish or jockish or adoublescribble-holic.

[payitforward]

I'd like to win too!

But, I don't see why Deni is in the way of that.

For that matter, even if I'm critical of Rui, I don't think he's in the way of it either.

The question is always the same: what move do we make now? What do we do next? What we've already done is over; nothing is going to change it.

[DCZards]

There's an article by Fred Katz about Deni in today's The Athletic. Here are some excerpts. The link to the full story is at the end for those of you who can access The Athletic.

Wizards rookie Deni Avdija is progressing and learning on the fly

If the world were normal, Deni Avdija’s skills might be more refined.

He would have competed in the summer league after the Wizards selected him with the No. 9 pick in last year’s draft. He would have participated in more practices during a schedule that’s instead been filled with games and travel days. He wouldn’t have lost two and a half weeks of court time while stuck in health and safety protocols.

Avdija is on a high after going for 16 points and five rebounds during Wednesday’s 131-116 win in Orlando. He’s averaging 12.0 points and 8.3 boards over his last four games. The supposed rookie wall he hit midway through the season has a ladder attached to it now. But questions about Avdija’s future remain the same, namely: how far along is he as a playmaker, his apparent strength when Washington drafted him in October? At least on the outside, it’s difficult to decipher.

If Avdija had ended up in D.C., say, last season, when the mission statement was ‘development over wins” as the team awaited the return of John Wall, the Wizards may have used him differently than they are now. Prospect experts projected him as a playmaker on the wing. General manager Tommy Sheppard said on draft night that he saw the then-19-year-old as a secondary playmaker. Had Avdija been around a year ago, when victories were gravy, he may have gotten to run more pick-and-rolls than he does now; maybe he’d grab a defensive rebound and go a tad more often instead of looking for his point guard to push.

But he’s received fewer and fewer of those opportunities as this season has continued, instead acting as more of a catch-and-shoot option alongside Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal, who control the majority of the offense. It’s left a reasonable question on the table: how can the Wizards — who are 18-32 heading into Friday’s game in Golden State — get an idea of Avdija’s basketball identity if he doesn’t handle much in games, and practices or shootarounds are on life support in 2021? Where is he as a playmaker thus far in his young career?

“I feel like I’m improving,” Avdija said. “I feel like teammates and coaches trust me more on playmaking and creating for others. Me, myself, I love creating for others. I’m always gonna make that extra pass, that good pass to another teammate to make a shot for me. … That’s how I grew up playing. And that’s my game. It won’t change.”

https://theathletic.com/2507814/2021/04/09/wizards-rookie-deni-avdija-is-progressing-and-learning-on-the-fly/?source=dailyemail

[pancakes3]

yeah, i think a big part of his struggle comes in trying to force him to play a 3 and d role when he's not that guy [yet] and even if he can, he has so much more utility as a secondary playmaker.

[MACCABITELAVIV]

I love you Deni!
I'm sure next season you'll become stronger than ever.
Hopefully as a playmaker under another coach or another team.

[badinage]

I love you Deni!
I'm sure next season you'll become stronger than ever.
Hopefully as a playmaker under another coach or another team.

What!?!? No. THIS team.

We love Deni. It’s only going to get better.

Our hearts break for him tonight. But we know he’s a warrior. A Maccabi. His future is brilliant.

[Dolevi]

He will return stronger from this.

[MACCABITELAVIV]

Just uploaded a video of his best assists (In my opinion):

Watch on YouTube

[nate33]

Just uploaded a video of his best assists (In my opinion):

Watch on YouTube

Thanks. It's easy to forget how good Avdija looked at times. The kid has some real natural passing instincts. Hopefully, it will all come together as he becomes a better shooter and learns to use his left hand more.

[doclinkin]

Just uploaded a video of his best assists (In my opinion):

Watch on YouTube

Thanks. It's easy to forget how good Avdija looked at times. The kid has some real natural passing instincts. Hopefully, it will all come together as he becomes a better shooter and learns to use his left hand more.

Right, until he shoots better he doesn't play well with Westbrook. Russ was getting irritated that Deni would consistently make the extra pass instead of hitting the shot and racking Russ an assist. That said this mix does remind us of the chemistry that was developing between Bryant and Deni.

I feel like we could have a serious bench if we had Deni & TB in a 2nd line platoon with Deni as playmaker and captain on the floor. Defense would have issues depending on who they have next to them (maybe the defense of Gafford lets us start Bertans? With Rui as the one-on-one match vs any perimeter big?)

But still, I like the idea of A Deni/Bryant platoon running uptempo and high energy against tired starters or 2nd line talent. Better than Bryant starting. You can use him as a 2ndary scoring option in a line with Neto, Brad/Garrison, Deni, [PF], Bryant.

I do want Deni also to get some finishing move he has confidence in, so that passing is an option but not always the first choice.

[Meliorus]

1 year later and still dislike him as much as I did on draft night. You're not given the ball or opportunity to be a "playmaker" when you can't score or carry an offense. Every team wants to score 130 a night, there's no time to give the ball to Deni.