Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija is in the midst of the best scoring stretch of his five-year career.
Avdija’s season-high 36 points during Friday night’s 128-109 win over the Denver Nuggets gave him 162 points over a six-game stretch.
That’s better than any stretch Blazers coach Chauncey Billups could remember seeing Avdija enjoy, even during his previous four seasons with the Washington Wizards.
“I watched him a little bit in Washington,” Billups said. “We only played him twice, but I’m almost certain he’s never had a stretch like this.”
Statistically, Billups was correct.
Avdija’s previous six-game scoring high was 146 points, produced during the 2023-24 season with the Wizards from Feb. 4 through Feb. 14. That run included a career-high 43 points and 15 rebounds during a loss at New Orleans.
The Blazers acquired Avdija through a draft-day trade last year, believing he had untapped upside. That included the ability to push the ball upcourt, attack the basket and operate as a playmaker.
Avdija has done all of the above during the last six games.
In addition to averaging 27.0 points, Avdija has grabbed 11.2 rebounds per game, huge given the team’s injuries at center.
“We severely need that,” Billups said.
Avdja has also produced 5.7 assists per game.
“His playmaking is getting better,” Billups said. “He actually cares about playmaking. He’s learning and learning and learning about his guys. They’re learning him.”
Denver Nuggets v Portland Trail Blazers
Deni Avdija #8 of the Portland Trail Blazers is fouled by Peyton Watson #8 of the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center on March 21, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images)Getty Images
Avdija’s shooting has been remarkable, sinking 57.0% of his field goal attempts and 57.1% from three-point range.
Avdija has embraced the added responsibilities Billups assigned to him.
“I don’t think I’ve played like this before,” he said. “I think I knew I had it in me. But I’m not really thinking about it. I’m just playing. I’m just free. I love playing around the guys. I love making plays. I love being on the court with our team, regardless of how I score or how much I score.”
Avdija began the season slowly before finding his groove in November. March has by far been his best month. Yet Avdija said he has more in him to deliver.
“I’m learning a lot about myself as a player,” he said. “I’m still making mistakes because I’m not used to being in this position a lot. But I’m super excited for how much better I can become and how much I want to work on different things to even evolve my game.”
Billups acknowledged that Avdija has plenty of room to grow.
“We’re all learning more about one another the whole time,” Billups said. “I think Deni is learning a lot about Deni at the moment. So, of course, we’re learning too. I think the way that we’re playing, with the pace that we’re playing at, it suits him. I always say that the people that play with the most force usually do well in this league. And he plays with a ton of force.”
Avdija’s run has come at the right time for the Blazers (32-39), in the hunt to earn a play-in berth. For Avdija, his statistics mean much more when attached to winning.
“I’m just working hard,” he said. “I’m being humble. And for me, it’s all about the wins and I’m very happy I can contribute to our wins.”
Next up: The Blazers host the Boston Celtics at 3 p.m. Sunday.
-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)