Deni Avdija is a nineteen-year-old guard from Tel Aviv, Isreal. He has played professional basketball overseas since he was only sixteen years old. Avdija is one of the few players in the 2019-2020 draft class that has played overseas and has spent time around and playing with professionals.
Deni Avdija 2020 Draft Profile
Overseas Career
As previously mentioned, Avdija has played overseas since he was only sixteen. While his production numbers-wise does not quite stack up with collegiate players in the United States, that is to be expected. Instead of facing players his age, Avdija has competed against grown men and trained professionals his entire pro career. He played his two seasons in the EuroLeague with Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv where he has shown great improvement. He has earned a big spike in minutes per game going from 6.4 to 14.3. This has not had much of an effect on his scoring as his points per game have relatively remained the same. However, almost every other major statistical category has seen a noticeable increase as Avdija has received more minutes and became more comfortable in a professional league.
Strengths
Arguably the biggest strength of Avdija’s game is his efficiency and versatility. First, in regards to his efficiency. He is very selective with his shots almost to a fault. He only averages 3.6 field goals attempted over his two-year career. However, this pickiness in shots leads to good looks that are makable for him. He is extremely versatile as well. With Avdija standing at 6’7″ and with his ball-handling abilities, he could feasibly play any position outside of maybe center.
Avdija’s next major strength is his playmaking ability. He is a primary facilitator and playmaker from teammates. With his driving ability being another strength, when he goes towards the basket, he more times than not finds the open teammate. The ability to create offense not only for oneself but their teammates as well is a remarkable trait to have coming into the league.
An off the court strength of Avdija’s is his drive, professionalism, and leadership abilities. As he has played overseas for a fair amount of time and from such a young age, the tendencies and work ethics of the veterans around him have rubbed off on Avdija. A young leader like him is a trait that lottery teams should be on the look for if they are not already.
Weaknesses
Avdija is a player with many strengths, however, there are areas of his game that are questionable or leave much room to be improved on. First, his three-point shooting continues to be a mystery. To begin his Euroleague career, Avdija shot fifty percent from three on 1.3 attempts per game. However, in the next season, he dropped to 27.7% from three while only increasing his attempts per game by half a shot. If he figures out the three-ball like he did in his first season, it will open up his game. Also, it will add to the versatility that he already possesses.
Next, just like his three-point shooting, Avdija shot awfully from the free-throw line in his second year compared to his first. In his first season, he did not miss a single free throw while attempting .3 a game. However, even with his free-throws per game only jumping to 0.7 the next season, his percentage dropped to 55.6% from the line. This is an area of his game that he will certainly have to improve once he is in the league.
Lastly, because of his size, Avdija can tend to struggle on defense, leading him to frequently fouling. While 6’7″ is a very solid height for the guard position, his wingspan is only 6’8″. This lack of length is the root of many of his problems on the defensive end. It can cause his man to get past him, forcing him to draw a foul to prevent an easy shot. Also, Avdija’s lack of strength at times leads to him being bullied in the post when switched onto a big in a pick and roll.
NBA Player Comparison
If Advdija can find his stroke again and become the sharpshooter from three and the free-throw lines like he did in his first season his NBA player comparison would be Mike Miller. Both players could play a plethora of positions. Along with this, Miller was a great locker room player and chemistry guy that always brought a team together. It is not difficult to see Avdija playing a similar role for the team that drafts him. An area that Avdija might best Miller at is playmaking. While Miller would find the right player from time to time, his primary instinct was to spot up and shoot. Avdija can be much more than that. He will also be a playmaker that will continue to find shots for both himself and his teammates.
NBA Draft Projection
Deni Avdija will easily be a lottery pick barring any major changes. On big boards, he is ranked around 7th-9th. However, in one projection, Deni was predicted to be drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the third overall pick of the draft.
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