Deni

Avdija

Avdija enjoyed a breakout season, which led to his first All-Star appearance. He also guided the Blazers back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021, though that season has now come to a close. He was red-hot entering the playoffs, but the top-tier Spurs defense made things difficult for him, which limited his production. Avdija was selected in the fifth round in Yahoo! leagues, but it will likely take an earlier selection to nab him in fantasy drafts next season.

Avdija had a good afternoon scoring-wise, but turnovers were once again an issue for him and the Trail Blazers. He was responsible for five turnovers, and the Trail Blazers recorded 18 as a team. Portland was one of the worst teams in the NBA during the regular season in terms of turnover percentage, and the margin for error gets slimmer in the postseason. If Avdija and the Trail Blazers are to force a Game 6, they need to clean up the mistakes.

Avdija got off to a fast start in Sunday’s outing. He logged 11 first-quarter points and added eight more to total 19 points at halftime. Yet, he was much less dominant the remainder of the game, taking just two shots in the third frame before logging six points in the fourth. Still, Avdija was the only Trail Blazer with more than 20 points on the evening. He’ll likely need some of his teammates to contribute more on the offensive end if Portland wants to avoid dropping Game 2.

Avdija was everything the Blazers needed down the stretch to mount a come-from-behind win. The first-time All-Star repeatedly got to the rim throughout the fourth quarter and ultimately scored the go-ahead layup with 16.1 seconds remaining. He finished with game-highs in points and assists while leading the Blazers from 11 points down midway through the final frame to mount a comeback that would secure them the seventh seed in the playoffs. Portland will face San Antonio in the opening round.

Avdija finished the regular season with another excellent game in the win over the Kings on Sunday. The 25-year-old power forward was just four rebounds shy of a triple-double. Avdija also had 25 points and five three-pointers. He finished the season in the top-80 in per game value and will lead Portland as they head into the Play-In tournament.

Towards the end of a season where he dealt with a back injury, Avdija is finishing strong with at least 26 points in each of his last five games. His 35 points were a game-high in the victory over the Clippers on Friday. Avdija provided eighth-round per game value this season, which could’ve been even better if not for his struggles with turnovers.

Scoring-wise, Avdija had a good night, finishing with a true shooting percentage of 63.7 percent. However, six turnovers countered the six assists, and that category has been an issue for him at times this season. Avdija has undoubtedly been one of the NBA’s most improved players, but with increased usage has come a sharp increase in turnovers. Heading into the final two games of the regular season, he is averaging a career-high 3.9 turnovers per game. Avdija will need to clean that up heading into the postseason.

Avdija secured a second straight 26-point outing on Monday. As usual, the free-throw line was his friend. However, he struggled from the field and gave the ball away four times. He’ll have a chance to land better production and more efficient scoring against the Spurs on Wednesday. The Trail Blazers are battling for seeding in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament. They are currently the ninth seed.

While he shot just 35 percent from the field on Thursday, Avdija recorded a complete stat line in the win over the Pelicans. He’s scored at least 20 points in four straight appearances, and 17 or more in 14 straight. As long as Avdija can keep the turnovers in check, he’ll provide excellent value, especially in category leagues. Unfortunately, the Trail Blazers are done for Week 23, so there’s no more value to be gained from Avdija this season.

Rough free throw shooting has limited Avdija’s value as of late, but he was able to have a productive night from there in this game while also recording his third double-double of the month. Avdija has enjoyed a breakout season, though he has certainly cooled off over the past two months. The back injury that has forced him to miss time is certainly a reason, and Portland will hope to have him at 100 percent for the postseason.