PHILADELPHIA — The 21-year-old has had one of the toughest weeks of his NBA career to date. Deni Avdia A lesson learned that can drive him through the rest of the season.
Coach Wes Unseld Jr. calls Avdija of the Washington Wizards Monday’s starting line-up, and in an interview athletic, Avdija admitted that the last few days have “not been easy” due to relegation. But the young forward could have emerged as a better, tougher player from that disappointment, and without Avdija and his defense, the Wizards may not have won. Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night, 121-111.
“I have learned that I need to be patient,” said Avdija. “I’ve learned that I need to be prepared. I’ve learned that I’m mentally strong and I can understand that in any situation.”
Unseld took Avdija so seriously on Wednesday that he kept him on court for the final 7 minutes and 15 seconds. The players he fielded during that decisive stretch were 5-0 combined, according to the league’s player-tracking system. Tyrese Maxsey Avdija cornered him, missing three of his attempted shots in the fourth quarter. James Harden When George Nyan Missed one shot at a time.
“We’ve seen growth,” says Unseld. “Defensively, I challenge him to guard the marquee matchup. He picked up three fouls early on, so I was a little worried. He was able to stay on the floor and defend without fouling, and he made some key stops that fourth quarter.”
The Philadelphia player made only five of the 18 shots he attempted with Avdija as the starting defender. According to the league’s stats system.
That long list of mistakes doesn’t include one of the game’s best highlights. Tobias Harris hurry up Rui Hachimura In transition, I caught an outlet pass and rose for a layup. Avdija sprinted between Harris and the basket, easily slamming Harris’ layup.
Just four days ago in Boston, Avdija made a mental mistake in a similar sequence in the final seconds of the second quarter. celtics. after a teammate Kristaps Porzizis Avdija ran towards the Wizards defense but could not find a goal for the Celtics. Malcolm Brogdon behind him. When Avdija focused on slowing down the ball handler Jason Tatum — despite two Wizards teammates standing between Tatum and the basket — Brogdon cut into the hoop, caught the pass, and scored a layup with 0.9 seconds remaining.
This put Avdija on the bench at the start of the third quarter and instead Anthony Gill.
Unseld said Gill made the change because he has a better feel for playing off-ball offensively and has a knack for switching defenses and starting action against cross-match defenses.Gill then creates scoring opportunities for himself and the starters Monte Morris, bradley beer, Kyle Kuzma and Porziñez. Unseld wanted to see how Gill would fit next to the starter.
Avdija struggled but worked hard Highlights how much he trusts Wizards coachesIndeed, most NBA players hate being left out of the starting lineup, and Avdija was no exception.
Unseld said he didn’t make the switch to teach Avdija a lesson or see how Avdija handled it.
However, once the move was made, Avdija’s ability to bounce back from disappointment was measured. Avdija is notorious for being tough on herselfand whether he would recover quickly provided a measure of Avdija’s tenacity and confidence.
“It’s kind of an ordeal in a way,” Biel said. “The coaches tested him to see if he got a response, a positive response, and he did. You come into the game with guards ready, ready to play, so sometimes you have to do that as a coach, to light the fire under the players, to light the fire under the team. I have to do something to get it.”
Avdija promised to continue to contribute. After a disastrous loss to the Sixers in Washington on Monday, he proved his worth two nights later against the same opponent in Philadelphia.
As the Wizards clung to a four-point lead with 2:17 left in the fourth quarter, Harden unleashed one of his trademark moves, a step-back jumper drive from just inside the foul line. . Avdija matched Harden step by step and stole the ball from Harden when he took a shot.
One of the biggest criticisms of the Wizards over the past decade has been the slow development of their young players. Jan Beseri, the 6th overall pick in 2011, hasn’t grown at all.
Avdija is currently in its third season, Has yet to carve out a larger offensive role at the NBA levelThis is because they tend to surround themselves with more established and veteran scorers and playmakers such as Beal, Kuzma and Porzizis. However, Avdija has shown his ability to take on greater responsibility as he played for the Israeli national team as a featured scorer this offseason.
Avdija will almost certainly enjoy more offensive freedom in the NBA, but the Wizards are expected to hit ball movers and open threes on offense rather than the primary ball handlers and creators. recognizing.
Defense is where Washington needs Avdija in action, and in the team’s first six games, Avdija defended his opponent’s most dangerous perimeter scorer. of the Indiana Pacers Tyrese Halliburton, Chicago Bulls’ demar derozan and the of the Detroit Pistons Cade Cunningham.
Avdija missed training camp and the entire preseason as he recovered from a groin strain he sustained while playing for the Israeli national team, and had an unusual amount of rust going into the regular season.
The Unseld decision was then made. That could have hurt Avdia’s confidence, but on Wednesday, the decision appeared to strengthen Avdia’s resolve.
Avdija said, “Everything you experience now will help you in the future.” athletic“Well, I’m still learning. I’m enjoying the process because I know[already]how I’ve grown, and I think I’ll do well in this league.Looking back, it’s going to be a sweet taste of when I was a little bit younger.”
(Top photo by Deni Avdija: Gregory Fisher / USA Today)
