Deni Avdija is having an incredible season with the Portland Trail Blazers. He's averaging a career-high 24.9 points per game and 5.4 assists, and in doing so, reminding the New York Knicks that they had the opportunity to draft him back in 2020.
It's clear to anyone who's been watching that Avdija is in the middle of a full-fledged breakout in Portland. He's playing like a legitimate All-Star candidate, having put up 20 or more points in 15 out of his 18 games this season. There's been a remarkable leap in his shot creation ability, confidence, and physicality that wasn't present earlier in his career, and Trail Blazers fans couldn't be more thrilled.
Of course, this development is a bit of an uncomfortable circumstance for Knicks fans. Back in 2020, New York owned the eighth overall pick in the first round, and Deni Avdija was on the board. As we know, the Knicks selected the University of Dayton standout Obi Toppin, while Avdija went with the very next pick to Washington. It didn't seem like a mistake at the time, as Toppin was a fantastic collegiate player, but things are certainly different now.
Deni Avdija could have been a Knick
Obi became a rotational piece and quite the crowd-pleaser in New York, but never developed into the kind of high-end multi-positional wing scorer that's now arguably the most coveted archetype in the league. As Avdija continues to thrive in Portland, New York's decision to pass on him only continues looking worse.
It's Deni's two-way impact that makes this situation sting that much more for Knicks fans. He isn't just putting up 25 points every single night. He's also defending multiple positions, beating switches, and stepping into a playmaking role where necessary. He's transformed into a true three level scorer with defensive ability, and that's one of the rarest combinations you can find.
What we're seeing is that Portland's coaching staff is putting the ball in his hands and encouraging him to hunt mismatches now, something that he didn't consistently have the opportunity to do while with the Wizards. The Knicks were never going to develop Avdija the way Portland has, but that doesn’t lessen the sting of passing on him.
Now, Knicks fans are back to thinking about the 2020 draft due to Avdija's strong play as of late. New York didn't just miss out on any old up-and-coming player, they missed out on a guy with a modern prototype that's built to succeed. The league is built around long, switchable scoring wings, and that's precisely what Deni Avdija is. This one's not going to stop hurting for a while.