The Washington Wizards have completed the pre-season portion of their schedule following a 105-89 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Friday night as they will now turn their attention to the season opener on Wednesday at the Indiana Pacers. Deni Avdija did not partake in any of the four exhibition games due to a groin strain that was more severe by the end of EuroBasket than was initially made public.

“I played on pills in the national team to kill the pain. At the end of the championship, I was barely walking,” Avdija painted a picture.

Deni Avdija on his groin injury since the end of EuroBasket

“I played on pills in the national team to kill the pain. At the end of the championship, I was barely walking.” pic.twitter.com/N1puuUL5LH

— Neil Dalal (@NeilDalal96) October 12, 2022

Avdija is nearly recovered from the injury that has hampered him for weeks as he progressed from playing 3-on-3 against player development coaches last week to 3-on-3 against G League level players Monday and Wednesday to a brief amount of 5-on-5 during Thursday’s practice in DC. Although he did not play against the Knicks, which he indeed desired to do with many of his friends and fans in the stands, the forward went through a strenuous on-court workout before the game. With the team currently having three days of scheduled practices Sunday through Tuesday before departing for the season opener on the road, Avdija has more opportunity to play 5-on-5 in a controlled setting and build up his conditioning to game-shape level.

Deni Avdija went through a pretty intense 25 minute pre-game workout with Joe Ajike before Wizards-Knicks where he was serenaded by his fans. pic.twitter.com/Q4dk8VUCb4

— Neil Dalal (@NeilDalal96) October 15, 2022

As someone with a high sense of pride in availability exhibited by how hard he took his right fibular hairline fracture injury at the end of his rookie season, Avdija understandably has not been happy with this latest injury setback. However, his past injury experience has prepared him to look ahead and bounce back despite the present unlucky obstacle. After playing in all 82 games last season, Avdija hopes to replicate that for the upcoming season as he mentioned his preparation to “be ready to play 164 games straight” after Wednesday’s practice.

“Pretty rough. I felt a little bit bad for not playing the games in Japan, not practicing with the team for a long time. Sitting out and seeing all the guys having fun and building chemistry on the court. I did the best I can to come every day, talk to the guys, be in practices, be aware of what’s going on and how we want to play this year. I feel like I did a good job building chemistry even though I wasn’t on the court,” Avdija explained about the ramifications of being injured the past month. “I knew coming into the season, it was frustrating for me, after the good summer that I had, taking some steps back. It is what it is, I’m here now.”

When Avdija returns to the court, possibly as early as Wednesday’s season opener if not Friday’s home opener, he will look to build on a strong development offseason where he worked with the likes of NBA skills trainer Drew Hanlen to improve his shot and finishing around the basket. Hanlen’s rise to fame of course started with his first client Bradley Beal from their common St. Louis connection and has grown far into the NBA world with the likes of Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, and Zach LaVine among others.

“Absorbing contact better,” Avdija said about the work he put in the weight room this offseason. “Be aware of how to use my body and where. At the end of the day, I had good chances to make layups last year it’s just the small amount of focus I need to put the ball in and that’s about it, the opportunities were there. I think I’m going to do a better job at finishing this year for sure.”

“Drew is great, his knowledge for basketball is amazing,” Avdija described his several days of training in Los Angeles. “He works with some of the best prospects in the world and I want to be one of the best. To be one of the best you also have to train with one of the best.”

Deni Avdija on what he worked on this offseason

“I feel like shooting was a big part of my summer. I worked a lot on my shooting and it feels great, it feels better than ever. I have confidence in it and I’m excited.” pic.twitter.com/CwetD6Hys6

— All-Pro Reels (@allproreels) October 13, 2022

It is widely expected for veteran wing Will Barton to start at small forward for the Wizards to start the regular season because of his past history in Denver understanding what Wes Unseld Jr. wants, but that does not mean there is not an opportunity for Avdija (the team’s only true small forward in the rotation) to finish games or be a starter by the end of the season. The groin injury was a temporary setback to his chance at winning the starting job outright to begin the season, but nonetheless, the expectation bar has been raised for Avdija entering his third season in the NBA. The 21-year-old is ready to take on the task ahead of him.

“There’s always going to be pressure, it’s part of our careers,” Avdija began. “I think guys that say they don’t have pressure, I don’t think it’s true. I think everyone has some sort of pressure and it depends how you take the pressure. I enjoy it, I embrace it, it’s fun, it’s challenging for me, I like challenges. It’s good for me, it gives me motivation to keep building and be better.”