{"id":573021,"date":"2026-01-31T14:08:33","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T14:08:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/573021\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T14:08:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T14:08:33","slug":"the-concerning-problem-with-deni-avdijas-blazers-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/573021\/","title":{"rendered":"The Concerning Problem With Deni Avdija’s Blazers Role"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Portland Trail Blazers are suddenly in a skid after a strong start to January. The 2025-26 season has been impressive for the Blazers, especially with Deni Avdija<\/a> shining in Portland\u2019s offense. Avdija\u2019s role has been a highlight within Tiago Splitter\u2019s system, but there are some problems.<\/p>\n

The Concerning Problem With Deni Avdija\u2019s Blazers Role<\/p>\n

Deni Avdija has been the Portland Trail Blazers\u2019 best player this season. It is an impressive ascent to stardom, which he showed flashes of<\/a> in the second half of the 2024-25 campaign. Considering the Blazers have a promising roster, emerging as the star is a great achievement.<\/p>\n

The emergence is impressive, especially\u00a0given that the trade was an\u00a0afterthought for some<\/a>. After the Blazers\u2019 third consecutive loss on Friday against the New York Knicks, there are concerns about Avdija\u2019s role on the Blazers. He is a great player, but being the go-to guy might not be the best fit for him.<\/p>\n

Avdija\u2019s Blazers Role Has Some Red Flags<\/p>\n

Avdija is putting up some gaudy statistics this season, averaging 25.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game. The Blazers forward is in a unique position because only five other players are averaging similar numbers.<\/p>\n

Like many other stars, Avdija\u2019s aggression gets him to the free-throw line. Avdija is averaging 9.5 free-throw attempts a night, second only to Luka Doncic. The Blazers\u2019 star forward regularly gets to the line, leading to foul-baiter comments<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tari on what makes Deni hard to defend:<\/p>\n

“Zebras (3x)” \ud83d\ude02 pic.twitter.com\/YxSZjIPn0X<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) January 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Due to his reliance on getting to the line and driving into the paint, teams can prepare for him. By matching him up against physical defenders, teams can limit his impact. That is what the Knicks did on Friday, holding him to four points for the majority of the game. He finished with 11 points, but he was terribly inefficient, shooting 4-for-14 from the field.<\/p>\n

This has led to some fans\u2019 concerns about his role within Splitter\u2019s system. If he is not overpowering his defenders, he can be anonymous. Most of the time, he can rely on Shaedon Sharpe<\/a> to pick up the slack. However, Sharpe can have a good game, but he still needs help from his teammates.<\/p>\n

Portland\u2019s Offense is in a Messy Situation<\/p>\n

Before the season started, most people saw Portland improving on offense. With Jrue Holiday<\/a> and Scoot Henderson<\/a> leading the way, they had legitimate playmakers. Unfortunately, both players have suffered injuries, which led to Avdija taking the reins.<\/p>\n

Avdija did a great job filling in as point guard, but it made the Blazers\u2019 offense predictable. If it was not Avdija attacking, it was Sharpe. Considering the Blazers\u2019 forward is not the most dynamic offensive player, the offense had issues<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rough game for Deni Avdija so far.<\/p>\n

4 points on 2-11 FG, 0-4 3PT in 23 mins. Has 3 turnovers, including an offensive foul on a drive.<\/p>\n

Maybe it’s that he’s not 100% healthy, but he hasn’t gotten his usual whistle & it’s left Shaedon Sharpe as the only Blazer who can get a bucket<\/p>\n

\u2014 Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) January 31, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Now that Holiday is back, there are still some concerning issues. The Blazers are not as fluid as people would like. A floor general should be resolving some of the issues. However, Avdija is not playing as well as people expect, as he is also coming off a back injury.<\/p>\n

Sharpe is still doing well, scoring 26 points against the Knicks and 31 against the Washington Wizards. While Sharpe\u2019s performances often set the tone for the Blazers, Portland\u2019s offense is not at an optimal level.<\/p>\n

Splitter\u2019s System Must Maximize The Players\u2019 Skillsets<\/p>\n

When anyone watches the Blazers, they can see that there are some problems with the offense. They are not maximizing Donovan Clingan<\/a>\u2018s size in the paint, as he is consistently shooting three-pointers. Off-ball movement continues to be an issue, as only Sharpe and Toumani Camara<\/a> constantly move.<\/p>\n

The pick-and-roll is not as effective as they would like, either. Clingan and Robert Williams III<\/a> are good screeners, but they lack dynamic offensive players. Henderson can resolve this when he returns, but Damian Lillard<\/a> might be the only solution.<\/p>\n

Avdija must also do better with his performances. He is reliable when he plays his usual game of being aggressive with drives. However, he needs to work on his in-between game and three-point shooting. The Blazers will be much more dynamic if he develops those skills.<\/p>\n

The Blazers must adjust to teams\u2019 scouting. Avdija is now at the top of scouting reports, so Splitter\u2019s system must maximize every player.<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Brad Penner-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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