Consistency and confidence is the key to success for Deni Avdija as he closes the book on Year 3 in the NBA

Apr 13, 2023 | Jews in Sports

Deni Avdija’s third season in the NBA has come to an end after playing 76 games, missing the last four with elbow bursitis as the Wizards softly tanked by holding out key players. In 27 minutes per game split almost evenly between starting and off the bench, Avdija averaged 9.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 0.9 steals per contest, all of which set modest career highs. The narrative that Rui Hachimura was traded to free up minutes for Deni Avdija is shaky at best, but Avdija did use it as positive reinforcement that his team believes in him which translated to flashes of stellar play late in the season.

“I feel like I did take advantage of it,” Avdija said about the Hachimura trade on Monday during exit interview day in the organization. “I played with more confidence, played with more freedom. I feel like it helped develop my game and take my role to the next level a little bit. I think it needs to be more consistent and I showed I can help the team in a variety of ways. But also on bad nights, I need to find a way to get back into the game and not really lose focus or bad stretches which I feel I need to eliminate. Other than that I feel like I took another step forward for sure.”

“My game really took a step forward when I had the ball because I could use my playmaking and really be able to finish at the rim,” Avdija described. “Really helped the team in those areas. Of course, I felt more comfortable with time and the more I played with the guys the more comfortable I felt in this role. It felt great because I haven’t done it in a long time, I know I’m capable of doing it. I think it’s a good weapon for the team to have, me playmaking and making plays for others.”

Consistency and confidence was the theme of what those around Avdija felt are the biggest factors in his long-term development. Avdija astutely noted that consistency is the difference between good and great players in the NBA to the one and only Sports Rabbi in March. Additionally, the 22-year-old has prioritized improving his 3-point shooting (29.7 percent this season) and left-hand ball handling this offseason to be less predictable against NBA defenses.

“With Deni, everything is about confidence and mindset,” not Deni’s father Kyle Kuzma said about his fellow forward. “We’ve seen many, many games when we’re playing lesser opponents and he dominates and he’ll have these big games. It may not be big games but he may have a game where he has 15, 9, and 6. That’s a huge game to me, that’s a big game. He switches his mentality too many times. That’s the thing that’s inconsistent with him. It’s easy to pick someone’s game and why they’re inconsistent, but a lot of times it’s because of your mindset. He had a stretch of more games this year than last year where he put together good games. I think he can build on that and I think he understands that he’s a better player when his mind is there and where he wants to be. I thought this year was a really good year for him understanding that and he should be able to build on that.”

Deni Avdija – Photo Credit: Washington Wizards


“He’s got to continue to work on his handle, I thought he showed improvement there. His left hand, playmaking with his left hand, finishing with his left hand. Finding a consistent 3-pointer,” head coach Wes Unseld Jr., who will return next season, rattled off a list of areas for Avdija to get better. “There’s been an uptick in all of those areas. Finishing at a much better level, getting to the rim, making free throws. Defensively I thought he was good again this year, he was much better in terms of defending without fouling. It’s been a steady progression and the biggest piece for him is his confidence level. He’s shown the ability to fail quickly, move past some of the mistakes where he didn’t do so last year and I think that’s helped his consistency this season.”

“One of the things I hold him to is, ‘Deni, we saw what you’re capable of.’ Your best games, even some stretches multiple games in a row playing really high level,” best friend Kristaps Porzingis assessed. “More for him now is having that consistency. That comes with experience, age, maturity, but I want to see more consistency from him throughout the year and that’s the challenge for him. Keep working on his percentages, keep working on his shot, keep working on his decision making, and all these things slowly is going to come together and he will become the player he envisions himself being. Most importantly, he has the want, the hunger, and I know this summer he’s going to be working. Expect a bigger summer for his growth and the best is yet to come for Deni for sure.”

Deni Avdija – Photo Credit: Washington Wizards


Even though it goes without saying that Avdija will be working diligently this summer to improve his game, he summarized it well saying, “I’m going to do whatever it takes to take this team to the next level.” Unlikely to play for Israel in international competition this offseason, which resulted in a substantial groin injury entering training camp last season due to EuroBasket, Avdija will enter the last year of his rookie contract in potential extension talks come fall. Washington has not signed a player to an extension prior to their rookie contract expiring since John Wall many moons ago. Avdija had little to say besides, “It’s not in my control,” when asked about the possibility of an extension, while team president and general manager Tommy Sheppard elaborated similarly just in more words.

“Extension, if it makes sense for both sides, we’re open and willing to sit down and talk about it. We got a lot of bigger things to do between now and free agency, we got to really focus on the draft,” Sheppard revealed little. “I know Deni is going to take a little bit of time off, but he’s going to work diligently to get know that 3-point shot down. I think you saw a lot more secondary playmaking that he’s doing. When he’s confident, he really does amazing things out on the floor, but he’s got to hold that confidence at all times. This comes with the journey and comes with repetition.”

Avdija will return to Israel to see family and friends that he has not enjoyed the company of in a long time, but not before long he will be back in the gym preparing for his fourth season in the NBA.

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