Deni Avdija is becoming Portland's most dangerous weapon: 'This guy is different'

Deni Avdija enters the new NBA campaign carrying higher expectations than ever, building upon a career-best season that culminated in his maiden All-Star selection and a standout postseason debut. The Israeli forward has continued this stellar momentum into the preseason, averaging 19.3 points per contest while shooting an exceptional 70 percent from the field (!), 46.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 76.9 percent from the charity stripe, alongside 5.3 rebounds and 3 assists across 21 minutes nightly.

In The Ringer's latest rankings, he slotted in at No. 27-representing a five-spot dip from his June positioning-accompanied by the assessment: "The addition of Ja Morant and the return of Damian Lillard could push him further down the hierarchy than expected. New head coach Micah Nori has already publicly committed to maintaining a similar offensive role for Deni, while also re-engaging him significantly on the defensive end."

The publication also highlighted Avdija's contract situation as he approaches free agency in the summer of 2028. "Limiting his touches could prove tricky as he approaches free agency without a clear way to extend his team-friendly deal before then," they wrote.

A considerably more optimistic outlook emerged on the "Locked On Blazers" podcast, where host Mike Richman welcomed Dan Favale of Bleacher Report. The pair dedicated a substantial segment of the episode to Avdija, with the host launching the discussion with a definitive declaration: "Deni Avdija was right on the fringe of making an All-NBA team last year. He probably would have made it if he hadn't gotten injured in January, fairly easily. From what I’ve seen in the preseason, I have zero doubt that he is still Portland's best player. It’s not even close. He looks fantastic."

Favale concurred that the Israeli is well-positioned, shedding light on why he might remain undervalued for the time being: "He will continue to be underrated as long as he plays on this contract. Once he signs his next contract, then he’ll be properly valued or even overvalued."

While the analyst admitted to previous anxieties regarding how Morant and Lillard might influence Avdija's role, recent preseason exhibitions completely altered his perspective. "A few weeks ago, I was almost panicking about what was going to happen to him offensively," Favale shared. "A lot of his drives last season looked really tough, especially after the back injury. Now it feels like there's more space around him. What I may have undervalued was that with Lillard, Scoot Henderson, and Morant, Deni will be able to catch the ball after other players have already created an advantage for him. He will still be significant offensively, but his drives will be easier and he'll get more open three-pointers."

Favale went a step further, suggesting that Portland possesses the credentials to emerge as an elite offensive unit: "I think they have top-10 offense potential in the NBA. In Avdija's minutes, when all the core players are on the floor, it could even be a top-5 caliber offense." According to Favale, Avdija's capacity to influence proceedings without dominating possession will only amplify his overall impact: "By the end of the season, we might be saying Avdija is even better than we thought."

For his part, Richman introduced a compelling stylistic parallel: "He kind of reminds me of the Jimmy Butler phenomenon. Jimmy can do a lot of things at a star level, but every once in a while he just decides to score 56 points in the playoffs. Deni and Jimmy don't necessarily play the same way, but there's something about that adaptability. Deni can score 30 points, and if needed, he can give you 23. He's not quite Jimmy yet, but he has that sort of superstar quality where he shapeshifts based on what's needed."

Favale found merit in the comparison: "I can definitely see that flexibility in Deni. He's also a better shooter than Jimmy, even though neither is considered an exceptional sniper. Butler always has a way to affect the game without the ball, whether through cuts to the rim or quick passes. I can see some of that in Avdija too, and I think his ceiling as a shooter in that role is even higher."

The analysts further debated crunch-time responsibilities for tightly contested finishes. When queried on who should shoulder primary decision-making duties during critical moments, Favale noted: "It should be Deni, but I don't know how that will actually play out."

Parallel enthusiasm resonated across digital platforms via a video breakdown from content creator Matty Dubs, who spotlighted Avdija's preseason output. "Deni Avdija is about to take another huge leap this season in Portland, and I believe in it because they're going to let him play off the ball a bit more," he observed. "I'm not saying he isn't good with the ball - on the contrary, he's great. But if defenses double-team Morant or Lillard and the ball finds Deni wide open, it's going to create chaos for NBA defenses this season."

Dubs drew attention to sequences where Avdija capitalized on defensive collapses by receiving kick-outs from Lillard and Morant to convert from deep without hesitation. "That's exactly what I want to see. He catches it, doesn't think twice, and shoots. The offense looks very fluid when Deni plays off the ball. His ability to get open looks this way will be huge this season," he elaborated, before emphasizing the forward's physical maturation: "He was already a very physical player, but it looks like he took another step forward in his ability to attack the rim. He creates contact, gets separation from his defender, and finishes plays fantastically."

Following video evidence of Avdija finishing effectively through contact, Dubs scaled his projections upward: "I don't know about you, but this jump from Deni could be something special. In fact, it's not even a breakout anymore, because he already broke out over the last two years. An All-Star? Easily. But can he become an All-NBA player this season? That's the big question." He concluded with a stark warning to the rest of the league: "This guy is different. I don't even understand what's happening here. He's just such a good basketball player. The NBA has a problem."