The Portland Trail Blazers addressed their most glaring flaw at the trade deadline by bringing in Vit Krejci. The former Atlanta Hawks guard will provide reliable shooting to a Blazers team in dire need of it. While everyone on Portland’s roster will benefit from that increased floor spacing, Deni Avdija stands to gain the most. <\/p>\n
The Blazers All-Star ranks in the top ten in the association in potential assists (13.9 per game). Most significantly, he ranks first in drives (19.8 per game) by a wide margin. Avdija is having a breakout season, averaging 25.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game on 47\/36\/80 shooting splits. But he’s somehow accomplishing it all despite the Blazers failure to surround him with complementary pieces. That means there’s still more to his game to unlock.<\/p>\n
Blazers can unlock Deni Avdija with much-needed floor spacing<\/p>\n
Avdija clearly prefers to get downhill, where he takes advantage of his rare combination of ball-handling, athleticism, and positional size. He’s tied with Zion Williamson on free throws attempted on drives (3.9 per game). Free throws have been a considerable part of his scoring increase, ranking second in the association (9.5 per game) behind only Luka Doncic. He’s gaining a reputation as a “free-throw merchant,” and that criticism is precisely how you know he’s officially become a star. <\/p>\n
But Avdija’s improved playmaking is an aspect of his game that has flown under the radar this season. He’s passing out of drives nearly half the time (49%). The Blazers just aren’t making them. Oftentimes, he has to draw fouls in the paint because it’s so congested that he has no other choice. <\/p>\n