Deni Avdija

[doclinkin]

His defense is so much better than I expected.

Regarding his offense, do we bring him off the bench when Rui’s back?

Whenever it happens, now or eventually, I think he will work well with Rui. Deni needs a finisher for some of his passes. Rui has remarkable hands and is pretty singleminded on scoring. As Russ fires him up to attack the interior, he becomes a solid end point for Deni's passes. Bryant bobbled a few that Deni spoonfed him in Philly. Rui is less likely to drop them, even in traffic. I can see the 2 of them forming chemistry and a connection on that end.

[prime1time]

I don’t bring him off the bench because we need his shooting to space the floor. Regardless it’s semantics though. He’ll be on the floor at the end of games. And he’ll pay big minutes.

[SwipeDaFox]

2 main takeaways I have for how to utilize Deni going forward.

1.Implement more Triangle sets. Much like Lamar Odom, who has some similarities to Deni as far as skills, size and position versatility - Deni is at his best when there's constant movement off the ball - either for him finding others with his brilliant passing, or (Not yet seen but soon to be discovered) due to his own off the ball movement recognizing situations and understanding where he needs to move reacting to events on the court, where his supreme basketball IQ translates into fantastic cuts (much like he does with defensive rotations, it's just that I think he's still shy and insecure to move from his spots and free-lance offensively for now, but you'll see it pretty quickly)

2.Utilizing Deni as a constant mismatch and post-up threat. You can really make life that much easier on the offense by putting Deni in the post and letting him operate, and he always looks to pass - and him just catching the ball and backing a smaller guy in the paint creates havoc for a defense and forces them to adjust.
Russ recognized it very intelligently and ordered him to take Seth Curry in the post - and it immediately paid dividends. It should be an option that is explored way more throughout the game, as he almost always has a smaller guy on him and he can abuse that mismatch.With 2nd unit lineups where there's not a Beal/Russ this to me seems like arguably the best offensive focal point out of all the other players possible, as it unlocks a lot of what Bertans wants to do as well and they can really mesh together.

Another thing this time for Deni himself that can really, really help his game is quite simple - RUN.

He was always used to being a secondary or even primary ball handler in his short career, and has the tendency to wait for the ball is case someone is guarded and he'll present an option to receive it (And cave into his natural instincts which is being an on-ball playmaker)

That is simply not an issue with a guy like Westbrook - and furthermore - it hurts him a lot cause Russ is FAST, and if he simply runs out to fill the wing and cherry pick, he will get atleast 2 easy dunks/layups per game just from matching Russ's tendency while being as big and strong as he is.

If you remember at one of the pre-season games Russ told Deni exactly that (I was lip-reading) "I'm fast. Imma find you, just run" when he was educating him after some stoppage of play.

It'll hurt his rebounding, but a lot of them are not in traffic anyways and it's better to leave them for Russ and just run like a deer catching the opposition off-guard.

[payitforward]

Great post, ...Fox -- start posting more, please!

[dckingsfan]

BTW, Tyrese Haliburton is the real deal too... so, it seems like both picks were spot on. Now, which will be better over time?

[SwipeDaFox]

BTW, Tyrese Haliburton is the real deal too... so, it seems like both picks were spot on. Now, which will be better over time?

We were so lucky we fell to us. Kid is a straight up baller.

I think Deni has a higher ceiling - because once he tightens up his handle, and expands his ability to create for himself with a dribble and have a good enough handle to get to his spots at will with an array of moves (which he currently does not have in my opinion) he will tap into a potential ability that Tyrese does not have - that to me is the main and most important thing Deni needs to focus on because that's where he will really turn the corner and move into an All-Star type player.

Both are gonna be in this league for a long time, though.

[J-Ves]

Whoever called Avdija the 6’9 version of Satoransky nailed it. Both guys do a lot of good on the floor and show skill on both sides of the ball, but ultimately their passive nature is a weakness. Obviously Avdija’s ceiling is way higher when you consider age.

[dckingsfan]

Whoever called Avdija the 6’9 version of Satoransky nailed it. Both guys do a lot of good on the floor and show skill on both sides of the ball, but ultimately their passive nature is a weakness. Obviously Avdija’s ceiling is way higher when you consider age.

So, other who have also watched a lot of Avdija should chime in. In the leagues where he was "the guy" he was anything but passive. Like to high a usage. When there were better players on the team he becomes more passive (lower utilization).

Over time, you won't see that aspect (I believe). That will differentiate him from Satoransky. But that won't happen until he is comfortable - so, not this season (IMO).

[SwipeDaFox]

Whoever called Avdija the 6’9 version of Satoransky nailed it. Both guys do a lot of good on the floor and show skill on both sides of the ball, but ultimately their passive nature is a weakness. Obviously Avdija’s ceiling is way higher when you consider age.

That's what people don't understand about Deni. He's a killer. The fact he's intelligent enough to adjust to situations and roles should not be confused with the fire and drive that he has, and wanting to be "that guy".

I've seen him since his early teenage days. He wants to be the one who takes the shot, and he has that chip on his shoulder. Mentality wise he's absolutely not passive. He just needs his confidence built the proper way, and he still has ways to go until he can really feel like "I got this" (Again, I think the dribbling improvement is what will make that happen) - but I can't say he has passive nature. He's a killer. (Sometimes in some situations was even arrogant which I didn't like in him in youth competitions)

The fact he's a gym rat and actually is willing to sacrifice everything in order to get better makes me extremely optimistic - because, and I've mentioned it in the Draft board a few years ago - that is unquestionably his greatest and most important asset, his work ethic even when no one's watching.

One of the most telling stories I have of that, is at the U-20 European Championship where he won the MVP award despite being the youngest in the tournament - he has a game in the quarter finals I think where he has a ridiculous stat-line and led the way to victory, but also shot 3-11 from the line - and instead of celebrating he actually stayed in the gym not even going to shower with the same game jersey for an extra 2 hours just shooting free throws. You can't teach that.

[DCZards]

Whoever called Avdija the 6’9 version of Satoransky nailed it. Both guys do a lot of good on the floor and show skill on both sides of the ball, but ultimately their passive nature is a weakness. Obviously Avdija’s ceiling is way higher when you consider age.

It's unfair and premature to declare that Deni has the same passive nature as Sato after a grand total of one NBA regular season game.

It's not surprising that a 19 year old might initially be somewhat tentative offensively, especially when just adjusting to the NBA game and sharing the court with established all-stars like Beal and Russ who demand touches and shots.

[dckingsfan]

Great post, ...Fox -- start posting more, please!

Seems like there is some great rookie talent

[SwipeDaFox]

Whoever called Avdija the 6’9 version of Satoransky nailed it. Both guys do a lot of good on the floor and show skill on both sides of the ball, but ultimately their passive nature is a weakness. Obviously Avdija’s ceiling is way higher when you consider age.

That's what people don't understand about Deni. He's a killer. The fact he's intelligent enough to adjust to situations and roles should not be confused with the fire and drive that he has, and wanting to be "that guy".

I've seen him since his teenage days. He wants to be the one who takes the shot, and he has that chip on his shoulder. Mentality wise he's absolutely not passive. He just needs his confidence built the proper way, and he still has ways to go until he can really feel like "I got this" (Again, I think the dribbling improvement is what will make that happen) - but I can't say he has passive nature. He's a killer.

The fact he's a gym rat and actually is willing to sacrifice everything in order to get better makes me extremely optimistic - because, and I've mentioned it in the Draft board a few years ago - that is unquestionably his greatest and most important asset, his work ethic even when no one's watching.

One of the most telling stories I have of that, is at the U-20 European Championship where he won the MVP award despite being the youngest in the tournament - he has a game in the quarter finals I think where he has a ridiculous stat-line and led the way to victory, but also shot 3-11 from the line - and instead of celebrating he actually stayed in the gym not even going to shower with the same game jersey for an extra 2 hours just shooting free throws. You can't teach that.

Read on Twitter

[bsilver]

BTW, Tyrese Haliburton is the real deal too... so, it seems like both picks were spot on. Now, which will be better over time?

Halliburton got 30 minutes in the Kings OT game on Wednesday. The guards played 149 minutes out of a total of 106 guard minutes (48+48+5+5). So it looks like the size of Hield and Halliburton is giving the Kings the opportunity to go “small”. As opposed to our really small, without the quotation marks.

[dckingsfan]

BTW, Tyrese Haliburton is the real deal too... so, it seems like both picks were spot on. Now, which will be better over time?

Halliburton got 30 minutes in the Kings OT game on Wednesday. The guards played 149 minutes out of a total of 106 guard minutes (48+48+5+5). So it looks like the size of Hield and Halliburton is giving the Kings the opportunity to go “small”. As opposed to our really small, without the quotation marks.

Right! 6'4, 6'5, 6'5. They were giving Denver fits... Fox is sooooo fast. And Haliburton is much faster than I thought.

[pancakes3]

fox's straight line speed is astounding. at least as fast as prime Wall, maybe even faster bc fox is more in control. dude's a glider, not a barreler.

but this is the dani thread, and i came to post that i really like the kid. way too early to read the tea leaves on whether he's going to be an all-star caliber talent, but he's been playing really well, really mature, and has shown some real skill. i even like the negatives in his game: he's fired off some overly ambitious passes, but i like that. it means that he's thinking about it, and will naturally get better. it also sends a signal to his teammates - be ready, that ball is coming. TB has been getting so many dump-offs, and spoon feeds, that he wasn't expecting a quick zip as a reward for running the floor. start expecting them.

[nate33]

fox's straight line speed is astounding. at least as fast as prime Wall, maybe even faster bc fox is more in control. dude's a glider, not a barreler.

but this is the dani thread, and i came to post that i really like the kid. way too early to read the tea leaves on whether he's going to be an all-star caliber talent, but he's been playing really well, really mature, and has shown some real skill. i even like the negatives in his game: he's fired off some overly ambitious passes, but i like that. it means that he's thinking about it, and will naturally get better. it also sends a signal to his teammates - be ready, that ball is coming. TB has been getting so many dump-offs, and spoon feeds, that he wasn't expecting a quick zip as a reward for running the floor. start expecting them.

Avdija is going to be good.

I think his floor is that of a reliable starter - a Joe Ingles/Will Barton tier player. But there's a good chance he gets quite a bit better and ends up on the Khris Middleton/Detlef Schrempf tier - an All-Star but not a superstar.

[pancakes3]

fox's straight line speed is astounding. at least as fast as prime Wall, maybe even faster bc fox is more in control. dude's a glider, not a barreler.

but this is the dani thread, and i came to post that i really like the kid. way too early to read the tea leaves on whether he's going to be an all-star caliber talent, but he's been playing really well, really mature, and has shown some real skill. i even like the negatives in his game: he's fired off some overly ambitious passes, but i like that. it means that he's thinking about it, and will naturally get better. it also sends a signal to his teammates - be ready, that ball is coming. TB has been getting so many dump-offs, and spoon feeds, that he wasn't expecting a quick zip as a reward for running the floor. start expecting them.

Avdija is going to be good.

I think his floor is that of a reliable starter - a Joe Ingles/Will Barton tier player. But there's a good chance he gets quite a bit better and ends up on the Khris Middleton/Detlef Schrempf tier - an All-Star but not a superstar.

he's shaping up to be the prefect 3rd banana on a really good team. if Mitchell/Gobert had him as a third, they'd be loaded. Lebron/KD would rather have him than Kuzma. he'd fit perfectly with Murray/Jokic. Imagine him running point forward with Giannis/Middleton.

he's not THE piece like Lebron/Giannis/Harden, but few are. I really like the current roster's composition, sans WB. Beal as the alpha, Rui/TB as 2A/2B options, Bertans sniping, and Deni being the glue that holds it together. That's a very fun squad. Like the Nets pre-Kyrie/KD.

[pcbothwel]

fox's straight line speed is astounding. at least as fast as prime Wall, maybe even faster bc fox is more in control. dude's a glider, not a barreler.

but this is the dani thread, and i came to post that i really like the kid. way too early to read the tea leaves on whether he's going to be an all-star caliber talent, but he's been playing really well, really mature, and has shown some real skill. i even like the negatives in his game: he's fired off some overly ambitious passes, but i like that. it means that he's thinking about it, and will naturally get better. it also sends a signal to his teammates - be ready, that ball is coming. TB has been getting so many dump-offs, and spoon feeds, that he wasn't expecting a quick zip as a reward for running the floor. start expecting them.

Avdija is going to be good.

I think his floor is that of a reliable starter - a Joe Ingles/Will Barton tier player. But there's a good chance he gets quite a bit better and ends up on the Khris Middleton/Detlef Schrempf tier - an All-Star but not a superstar.

Agreed. I actually think he and Rui will be a really strong front court Duo. Both are interchangeable 3/4's that have complimentary skills.
Deni - High IQ defender, spot up shooter, cutter, passer, etc.
Rui - Mediocre IQ, but Extremely talented scorer that can create for himself and projects as solid man defender.

As a pair, I dont see a real weakness. I think Rui matures into being the higher usage scorer and lets Deni "Fill in the gaps" with rebounding, defender, moving without the ball. Guys like Deni & Bonga play so much better when a talented scorer like Rui can take over scorer role when Beal isnt playing.

[Pistol King]

I think the complementary perfect third option description might be accurate as of now, but I view his ceiling as higher than that. I always keep reminding myself that while young college kids or young players overseas had the benefit of playing in teams that prioritize development and getting the freedom to make mistakes and as a result extending their offensive skills, Deni since the age of 16 has grown in a high pressure organization (Maccabi Tel Aviv) that prioritizes winning above anything else. Which means, they used him for winning purposes and not for development purposes. His offensive arsenal might not look like one of a 'first or second option potential' right now, but it could be 2-4 years from now. I expect him to improve it massively under a developmental environment.

His personal training coach said on his latest interview that until this year Deni didn't have free time to really work on his skills because every year he was super busy with games (he played in many tournaments. Euroleague U-18, Maccabi U-18, FIBA U-18, FIBA U-20, BWB camps, and in Maccabi Senior team competitions). For those who interested you can find the quote on not having free time in the 9'th paragraph here:

https://sportsrabbi.com/en/he-has-things-that-came-from-god-interview-with-veljko-perovic-deni-avdijas-closest-coach/

So In short, a few main reasons I have high expectations for him to really extend his offensive arsenal even to the point of being a primary option a few years from now:

1. His offensive game is far from being a finished product due to lack of proper development and the fact he's still young.
2. Very high work ethic according to all reports, which means he has that willingness to reach his ceiling.
3. He has that alpha/ killer mentality and leadership of someone who want to be the best and make everyone around him better. it might not be noticeable right now because he want to adjust slowly and give the respect to proven NBA players and stars on the roster, but that's who he is deep inside according to all his performances the last few years.

Now all the fun questions begins. What is the development plan of the coaching staff for him. What type of skills they want to help him develop, what type of muscles they want to strengthen, how they gonna keep tighten up the handles, how they gonna tighten his handles when he's at full speed, how they gonna keep strengthen his body control, keep developing a reliable mid range game, crossovers, body hesitations, keep strengthen hips and knees so he could use high level step backs and side steps in crowded areas, He seems a guy that you just need to throw info and guidance for him and he'll do what ever it takes to implement. I wish we could talk to the development staff and ask them all these questions and hear from them their development plan. That could be super interesting and also could give us a better idea of what to expect of him in the short and the long term.

[nate33]

Now all the fun questions begins. What is the development plan of the coaching staff for him. What type of skills they want to help him develop, what type of muscles they want to strengthen, how they gonna keep tighten up the handles, how they gonna tighten his handles when he's at full speed, how they gonna keep strengthen his body control, keep developing a reliable mid range game, crossovers, body hesitations, keep strengthen hips and knees so he could use high level step backs and side steps in crowded areas, He seems a guy that you just need to throw info and guidance for him and he'll do what ever it takes to implement. I wish we could talk to the development staff and ask them all these questions and hear from them their development plan. That could be super interesting and also could give us a better idea of what to expect of him in the short and the long term.

He sounds like the perfect project for Brad Beal's personal trainer: Drew Hanlen. If Avidja can develop his offensive arsenal like Beal did, the sky is the limit. Remember, when Beal first joined the league he was merely a catch-and-shoot player and straight-line driver.