Deni Avdija this year

[monopoman]

Whenever I saw WAS games years back I always thought Rui and Deni had a bright future, and to lesser extent Gafford. They just needed a legit No 1 (not Beal) to tie it all together. No suprise to see them blossom once leaving that gutter franchise.

The Blazers have also unlocked him fully, they let him be the primary ball handler often from what I have heard he was more limited in his role in Washington DC.

[Menace2Sobriety]

Deni was also young and lacking confidence while in Washington. We’re still weeping over this trade on the Wiz board as most saw this coming - he was trending upwards.

A confident and assertive Deni is what we’re seeing now. That and his shot has improved greatly - tho still inconsistent. I would have started the rebuild around a skilled and intelligent player like Deni.

I just love what I’m seeing from him and that he’s getting the credit he deserves.

[52-12-7]

Blazers got a gem in Deni. Too bad they messed up the drafts so bad. Imagine if they drafted Jalen Williams instead of Sharpe, and Amen over Scoot. Blazers would be a top 4 team in West right now had they drafted right. They would be the best defensive team for sure. They also inexplicably picked Yang while passing up Coward. Deni and Toumani are Cronin's only saving grace.

[BruttoNostra]

Deni was also young and lacking confidence while in Washington. We’re still weeping over this trade on the Wiz board as most saw this coming - he was trending upwards.

A confident and assertive Deni is what we’re seeing now. That and his shot has improved greatly - tho still inconsistent. I would have started the rebuild around a skilled and intelligent player like Deni.

I just love what I’m seeing from him and that he’s getting the credit he deserves.

Nah, he was lacking confidence, because he was standing in the corner every possession and was sent to the bench for the smallest error.
He's is playing now in Portland just like he played before NBA - of course, at much higher level, but you got the idea.
At any level he was also the facilitator, except for the lone Euroleague season - but domestic competitions and junior euro championships - he was not Doncic, ofc, but like the current Franz Wagner for sure in the terms of his role within the team.
The problem now - Avdija's contract is SO good, there is no realistic way they can extend him, so it's only hitting the RFA and resigning him with Bird Rights in 2028. There is an option to do what Jazz did with Lauri, but I doubt they will have have enough cap space if they stay competitive.

[CntOutSmrtCrazy]

Deni was also young and lacking confidence while in Washington. We’re still weeping over this trade on the Wiz board as most saw this coming - he was trending upwards.

A confident and assertive Deni is what we’re seeing now. That and his shot has improved greatly - tho still inconsistent. I would have started the rebuild around a skilled and intelligent player like Deni.

I just love what I’m seeing from him and that he’s getting the credit he deserves.

Nah, he was lacking confidence, because he was standing in the corner every possession and was sent to the bench for the smallest error.
He's is playing now in Portland just like he played before NBA - of course, at much higher level, but you got the idea.
At any level he was also the facilitator, except for the lone Euroleague season - but domestic competitions and junior euro championships - he was not Doncic, ofc, but like the current Franz Wagner for sure in the terms of his role within the team.
The problem now - Avdija's contract is SO good, there is no realistic way they can extend him, so it's only hitting the RFA and resigning him with Bird Rights in 2028. There is an option to do what Jazz did with Lauri, but I doubt they will have have enough cap space if they stay competitive.

Basically this, until his last season in Washington he was asked to stand in a corner and defer to veterans like Beal, Kuzma, and Porzingus, and it obviously didn't play to his strengths. Then when he finally was able to do more in his last season, he still for the first half of the season had to defer Poole and Kuzma once again in the pecking order. The frustration of watching him not touch the ball on multiple possessions in a row for years was maddening. The second half of his last season he really started to blossom from what many of us saw in him from day one and the team then trades him for peanuts on the dollar because he wasn't drafted by the new regime.

Another gross negligence move by a second rate franchise.

[kwajo]

The lesson here is if the Wizards have a good player... always ask.

Unless his name is Bradley of course.

[Menace2Sobriety]

Deni was also young and lacking confidence while in Washington. We’re still weeping over this trade on the Wiz board as most saw this coming - he was trending upwards.

A confident and assertive Deni is what we’re seeing now. That and his shot has improved greatly - tho still inconsistent. I would have started the rebuild around a skilled and intelligent player like Deni.

I just love what I’m seeing from him and that he’s getting the credit he deserves.

Nah, he was lacking confidence, because he was standing in the corner every possession and was sent to the bench for the smallest error.
He's is playing now in Portland just like he played before NBA - of course, at much higher level, but you got the idea.
At any level he was also the facilitator, except for the lone Euroleague season - but domestic competitions and junior euro championships - he was not Doncic, ofc, but like the current Franz Wagner for sure in the terms of his role within the team.
The problem now - Avdija's contract is SO good, there is no realistic way they can extend him, so it's only hitting the RFA and resigning him with Bird Rights in 2028. There is an option to do what Jazz did with Lauri, but I doubt they will have have enough cap space if they stay competitive.

It’s both. Maybe it was a lack of confidence in his shooting/ free throws, but there was a distinct lack of aggression the first few seasons. He’d rarely try to finish some of the drives as he does now and, as you say, passively deferred to the vets.

I love this version of Deni. Wish he still played for the Wiz. Bub Carrington. Sheesh.

[Menace2Sobriety]

Deni was also young and lacking confidence while in Washington. We’re still weeping over this trade on the Wiz board as most saw this coming - he was trending upwards.

A confident and assertive Deni is what we’re seeing now. That and his shot has improved greatly - tho still inconsistent. I would have started the rebuild around a skilled and intelligent player like Deni.

I just love what I’m seeing from him and that he’s getting the credit he deserves.

Nah, he was lacking confidence, because he was standing in the corner every possession and was sent to the bench for the smallest error.
He's is playing now in Portland just like he played before NBA - of course, at much higher level, but you got the idea.
At any level he was also the facilitator, except for the lone Euroleague season - but domestic competitions and junior euro championships - he was not Doncic, ofc, but like the current Franz Wagner for sure in the terms of his role within the team.
The problem now - Avdija's contract is SO good, there is no realistic way they can extend him, so it's only hitting the RFA and resigning him with Bird Rights in 2028. There is an option to do what Jazz did with Lauri, but I doubt they will have have enough cap space if they stay competitive.

Basically this, until his last season in Washington he was asked to stand in a corner and defer to veterans like Beal, Kuzma, and Porzingus, and it obviously didn't play to his strengths. Then when he finally was able to do more in his last season, he still for the first half of the season had to defer Poole and Kuzma once again in the pecking order. The frustration of watching him not touch the ball on multiple possessions in a row for years was maddening. The second half of his last season he really started to blossom from what many of us saw in him from day one and the team then trades him for peanuts on the dollar because he wasn't drafted by the new regime.

Another gross negligence move by a second rate franchise.

The second half of his last season, when Kuzma and Poole were out, we played our best basketball. Even tho we didn’t win much, they were fun to watch.

[magee]

Blazers got a gem in Deni. Too bad they messed up the drafts so bad. Imagine if they drafted Jalen Williams instead of Sharpe, and Amen over Scoot. Blazers would be a top 4 team in West right now had they drafted right. They would be the best defensive team for sure. They also inexplicably picked Yang while passing up Coward. Deni and Toumani are Cronin's only saving grace.

While Coward would fit with this squad nicely, they invested in Sharpe. There's still time for Yang and because he's so young, they'll be able to sign him to a small extension right as he starts to come into his own.

Personally, I don't think Sharpe is the answer at the 2 for Portland. Coward would've been so great with this team. That being said, if Sharpe doesn't improve his decision making, they will need to figure out how to get value for him and send him to a team he can grow a little more with. Right now, with how this squad is structured, he's a liability. Hope I'm wrong and it all clicks for him.

[CntOutSmrtCrazy]

Nah, he was lacking confidence, because he was standing in the corner every possession and was sent to the bench for the smallest error.
He's is playing now in Portland just like he played before NBA - of course, at much higher level, but you got the idea.
At any level he was also the facilitator, except for the lone Euroleague season - but domestic competitions and junior euro championships - he was not Doncic, ofc, but like the current Franz Wagner for sure in the terms of his role within the team.
The problem now - Avdija's contract is SO good, there is no realistic way they can extend him, so it's only hitting the RFA and resigning him with Bird Rights in 2028. There is an option to do what Jazz did with Lauri, but I doubt they will have have enough cap space if they stay competitive.

Basically this, until his last season in Washington he was asked to stand in a corner and defer to veterans like Beal, Kuzma, and Porzingus, and it obviously didn't play to his strengths. Then when he finally was able to do more in his last season, he still for the first half of the season had to defer Poole and Kuzma once again in the pecking order. The frustration of watching him not touch the ball on multiple possessions in a row for years was maddening. The second half of his last season he really started to blossom from what many of us saw in him from day one and the team then trades him for peanuts on the dollar because he wasn't drafted by the new regime.

Another gross negligence move by a second rate franchise.

The second half of his last season, when Kuzma and Poole were out, we played our best basketball. Even tho we didn’t win much, they were fun to watch.

Agreed.

[manlisten]

Man, a 12 man international squad would destroy the American team
SGA/Giddey
Luka/JMurray
Giannis/Deni or Franz
Wemby/Siakam or Lauri
Jokic/Sabonis or Sengun

I'm sure I'm missing a few-but that's A LOT of talent

Well yea. You're pitting players from one country against the best players from multiple countries all over the world, many of whom are technically American anyway.

[manlisten]

Whenever I saw WAS games years back I always thought Rui and Deni had a bright future, and to lesser extent Gafford. They just needed a legit No 1 (not Beal) to tie it all together. No suprise to see them blossom once leaving that gutter franchise.

I was always impressed by how much talent the Wizards had to still remain such a bad team. This was back when they had Porzingis. Multiple players who could contribute to championship caliber teams yet not even make the play in themselves.

[Exp0sed]

Whenever I saw WAS games years back I always thought Rui and Deni had a bright future, and to lesser extent Gafford. They just needed a legit No 1 (not Beal) to tie it all together. No suprise to see them blossom once leaving that gutter franchise.

The Wizards drafted a teenage Euro at #9, stuck him alongside a group of Beal,Westbrooke,Kuzma etc, guys with a completely different mind set and mentality, i remember that team it was awful to watch

Despite putting their high pick player in a terrible situation for his confidence and his development, he did show some flashes and some year to year improvement. Then they extended him on a very cheap deal, based on his tools and the flashes he's shown and he was already above avg defensively as a Wizard

Perfect contract for a rebuilding team tbh

Solid, young,cheap and still with plenty of upside and room to develop

So why the hell did they trade him? That's dumbfounding..

Fwiw, the Wizards are a terrible org. I'm long of the opinion that Leonsis is the worst owner in the NBA and they're a black hole franchise ever since he bought the team

Deni's career would have looked differently if he was still in Washington

He's a guy that needs to compete and win, he's a bad fit on a tanking team

being traded to PDX was great for his career and for the Blazeres. good player.

Sent from my SM-A055F using RealGM mobile app

[CobraCommander]

Close to all star level to me. He's been great.

Problem is that a lot of players have put up gaudy numbers to start the season. Not sure if he'd be in the top 25.

its good that Washington moved on from him....its perfect actually.

[tmorgan]

My favorite non-Piston to watch.

I’d trade Ausar and a first for him, and I love watching Ausar.

[Pistol King]

He just ended up with a freaking +24 plus minus in a Blazers loss by 5 to the Heat.

Alongside 33pts 11 rebs and 8 assists. He's insane so far this season.

But Portland doesn't perform well enough when he's off the court, it's a problem if they want to end up in the playoffs. Tiago Splitter has to do better.