Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups calls Deni Avdija the team’s x-factor since he is playing well this season.
Avdija, acquired from the Washington Wizards last offseason, is enjoying a career year in his first full season with the Portland Trail Blazers. He averages 15.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on 46.7 percent shooting from the field across 63 appearances.
“It took him a little while to adjust to a new team, but he found his groove. We’ve let him have a lot more responsibility with the ball, and he keeps proving to get better and better at it. He’s like a one-man fast break when he gets the ball,” Billups said about Avdija via The Athletic’s Josh Robbins.
“Some of these things, I didn’t even know about when we got him, because we only played him twice a year, so I didn’t know that much. But he’s been a pleasant surprise. The fire that he plays with, I think, takes our team to another level. The edge that he plays with, the toughness that he plays with — we need it,” he concluded.
Portland Trail Blazers face a critical moment
The Portland Trail Blazers are 12th in the Western Conference with a 30-39 record. They have a realistic shot at competing for a play-in tournament spot, but they are urged to tank for a high draft pick this summer.
Portland ended their five-game slide and are on a two-game winning streak after beating the Toronto Raptors and the Washington Wizards.
Against Washington, Anfernee Simons led with 30 points and five three-pointers on 10-for-17 shooting from the field. Shaedon Sharpe, Duop Reath, Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan, and Scoot Henderson added 16, 15, 15, 11, and 11 points.
