Reasons Deni Avdija is the Perfect Draft PickDefensive PotentialAvdija, like many other players entering the draft this season, have concerns surrounding their ability to lock in on defense. Although he’s been caught sleeping on defense a few times in the Israeli Winners League, there’s no doubt that he has the timing and length to make key steals and blocks on the defensive end.
His wingspan isn’t the longest (6′ 9″), but he’s shown a clear talent for knowing when and hot to go for the ball and avoid drawing a foul. He is by no means a lock down wing defender, but Avdija can more than hold his own on basketball’s less glamorous end.
With the new challenge that the NBA proposes to young players, its not hard to imagine Avdija locking in and putting those defensive intangibles to better use in the world’s premier basketball league.
Shot CreationAvdija has flashed all the skills you want from an NBA scorer. He has the range to score from deep, and the moves to get those types of shots off at will. He has by no means perfected the talent yet, but he’s shown plenty of potential to be a dangerous perimeter scorer in the NBA.
ESPN’s Mike Schmitz broke down Advija’s perimeter skill set well.
“In the half-court, Avdija’s intrigue starts with his ability to make pull-up 3s. Now, he shot only 28.6% from 3 during this tournament, and he is a career 58.2% free throw shooter on 306 attempts, which is concerning. But watching him play in person for more than two years, he is not lacking touch. The fact that he can hop into 30-foot pull-ups versus switches or step back into 3s gives him tremendous upside as a half-court shot-creator, even if he’s still learning on the job, particularly as a ball handler. Avdija made 2.1 3s per 40 minutes at the U20s, and he is a career 32.4% 3-point shooter on 358 attempts, which likely would be a much higher clip if he were more selective.”His deep ball is not anything the NBA hasn’t seen before, but he has the step back and the shot form and confidence to be a perimeter scoring threat. His height gives him an extra advantage, letting him shoot over the tops of defenders like they aren’t even there.
In addition to his outside scoring, Avdija is no slouch off the dribble either. Although not the fastest guard, the 6-foot-9 Israeli has the size and dribble moves to attack the basket and make plays. His length and athleticism have been put on display in the Israel Winners League, where he regularly finishes at the rim through contact. He can even bully smaller opponents in the paint, which is just icing on the cake that is his well-rounded offensive game.
PlaymakingThe Israeli 19-year old projects as a future point-forward in the NBA. In 2018-2019, Avdiija averaged just .7 APG in the Israeli Winner League. That number jumped to 2.6 APG in 2019-2020, and Avdija has looked even sharper as a passer since the return of Israeli basketball in June. During his first game back on June 21st, Avdija dropped 23 points, 7 REB, and 5 AST as Tel Aviv beat Maccabi Ashod 114-82.
He’s improved as a passer each season in the competitive EuroLeague, as well as international U-20 basketball. his continued improvement and talent in passing on one of basketball’s more competitive stages gives hope that he could blossom into a talented playmaking forward in the NBA.
