If Deni Avdija isn't an All-Star, what exactly is the standard?
The Portland Trail Blazers' bold trade with the Washington Wizards is completely reshaping the trajectory of their rebuild as they have managed to land a legitimate All-Star who has quickly become the face of the franchise.
Avdija is having a career year in Portland, averaging 25.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.0 assists on 47/36/79 shooting splits.
It's the three-level scoring, combined with his underrated playmaking, that makes Avdija such a valuable weapon for the Blazers, who are using him effectively in a point-forward role. Portland's depleted backcourt that remains without Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, and Blake Wesley may have forced their hand, but this was always the pathway to Avdija's star ceiling they envisioned when trading for him.
Deni Avdija's All-Star case is impossible to ignore
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Just look at Portland's recent 122-109 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Avdija was the best player on the court, even outplaying a healthy former No. 1 overall pick in Zion Williamson. Avdija played 38 minutes in this contest as interim head coach Tiago Splitter couldn't afford to take him out, but that high workload still didn't affect his efficiency. Avdija finished with 34 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, and two turnovers on 10-of-19 shooting from the field, 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, and 11-14 from the charity stripe.
On the season, the Blazers wing ranks 16th in points per game, 11th in assists, and 33rd in rebounds. But the most impressive aspect of his game is his ability to get to the foul line. He averages 9.8 free-throw attempts per game, which ranks second in the association behind only Luka Doncic (12.1). He's even ahead of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander!
With Avdija's star ascension this season, we have even started to see flashes of Doncic in his game. It's not a perfect comparison by any means. Avdija is much more athletic, which allows him to play more in transition and make more of an impact defensively (though that [has taken a hit](https://ripcityproject.com/draft-guru-says-quiet-part-loud-deni-avdija-offensive-transformation) with the increased offensive role). Meanwhile, Doncic is much more polished as a jumbo guard, leading the entire league in scoring (33.6 points) while ranking in the top five in assists (8.7).
Still, in many ways, Avdija has turned into a Doncic-lite as a 6-foot-8 point forward who is a matchup nightmare with his size and well-rounded offensive game. Like Doncic, Avdija still struggles with turnovers. But that comes with the territory of these player archetypes, which are incredibly rare.
Being an All-Star is about separating yourself from the rest of the league, and Avdija is a prime example of someone whose combination of skillset and physical tools just isn't replicable.
The one thing hurting his case is Portland's record at 15-20. But think about what their record would be [without him](https://ripcityproject.com/deni-avdija-trade-saving-blazers-total-disaster). Avdija has almost singlehandedly kept the injury-riddled Blazers in the play-in race out west, and he deserves All-Star recognition for the value he's provided to this team.