Portland Trail Blazers swingman Deni Avdija will represent Israel in the upcoming FIBA EuroBasket tournament. And according to ESPN’s Neil Paine, he’ll be one of the top players to watch.
“Avdija is possibly the most underrated player at this EuroBasket. He made full use of a trade that sent him from the Washington Wizards to the Portland Trail Blazers this past summer, breaking out for new career high averages in points(16.9), rebounds (7.3), assists (3.9), True Shooting percentage (60.5%), PER (17.7), Win Shares (5.6), estimated RAPTOR (plus-1.7) and WAR (5.1). Hints of further progress as a shooter and ball handler would prove his staying power,” Paine wrote.
“He does have a history of big performances on the international stage: He was MVP of the 2019 FIBA U20 European Championship, hosted in his native Israel, averaging 18.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.4 blocks en route to gold. Though that type of team success is unlikely this time around (Israel is tied for the lowest odds in the field), Avdija should put up good individual numbers,” he added.
The Portland Trail Blazers forward will have his work cut out for him in the showpiece event, as Israel is bunched with France, Slovenia, Poland, Belgium, and Iceland in Group D.
Portland Trail Blazers News: Analyst drops Jrue Holiday warning ahead of 2025-26 season
The Portland Trail Blazers traded Anfernee Simons in exchange for Jrue Holiday earlier this offseason. However, while Holiday will provide veteran leadership and solid defense, one analyst feels that the fans shouldn’t expect too much from the two-time NBA champion.
“The Holiday trade will have its upsides, as the 35-year-old vet will bring poise, experience, and leadership to a Portland Trail Blazers team that skews young at a lot of important positions,” Grant Hughes wrote on Bleacher Report.
“That said, his age-34 season with Boston was his worst in over a decade. He averaged just 11.1 points and 3.9 assists while struggling to contain quicker matchups on the perimeter. That’s natural for a player with Holiday’s mileage. The question this season won’t be about whether he continues to decline. It’ll be about how fast his slide accelerates,” he added.
