PSO Scouting Report: F Deni Avdija

PSO’s original Scouting Reports strive to be uniquely valuable in evaluating a player’s future outlook by focusing on the four main subjects that summarize a player’s likelihood of succeeding at the next level including: Natural Athleticism, developed NBA-Caliber Skills, proven Production, and overall Risk that each individual player presents to a team drafting him. For a full breakdown of PSO’s Scouting Reports, click here.

Bio

Pos: F

Hometown: Beit Zera, Israel

Team: Maccabi Tel Aviv (EuroLeague)

Class: International

DOB (Age): 1/3/01 (Age 19)

Height: 6’9″

Weight: 215 lbs.

Facts to Know

In 2017, Avdija was the youngest player to ever debut for Maccabi Tel Aviv senior team at the age of 16
His Father, Zufer, was a pro basketball player for over 20 years. He played 50 games for the Yugoslavian national team
Is a dual-citizen in Israel and Serbia, which is currently ranked the 5th best team in the world without him on their roster

Athleticism

Pros

Solid straight line athlete, quick for size, and can run well in transition
First step was sometimes too slow, but mostly showed signs of great athletic quickness to get to the rim
Shows good flexibility on defense to guard shorter point guards and other forwards
Strong in the post against smaller competition; Uses his size well
Quick hands on defense leads to a lot of deflections and weak side blocks when helping
Sneaky explosiveness; He can finish above the rim

Cons

Needs improvement at changing direction and speeds overall
Slow hip turns leads to him getting beat by quicker players
Low level of dexterity, seems like athleticism is diminished when using his left-hand
Lack of strength leads to easy offensive rebounds and buckets in the paint against Avdija

Grade: B+

NBA Skills

Pros

Very high basketball IQ and feel for the game at a young age; has developed natural instincts that can’t be taught
Competitive and flashy American style blends nicely with his European finesse
Potential to be a point-forward, comfortable bringing up the ball and can find teammates well
Has a variety of ways to create his own shot from almost anywhere on the floor
Developed an advanced offensive post game which is devastating when he faces shorter defenders
Showed improvements moving without the ball and has always been a great cutter
Good defensive basics with room to improve, stays in front of man nicely
Elite court vision from really anywhere in the half-court, scorers will enjoy playing with him

Cons

Streaky perimeter shooter who needs to work on catch and shoot/spot up situation
Has issues with longer defenders and finishing through contact; lack of left hand will be an issue if not improved
Left hand still well behind right hand in terms of driving and finishing ability

Grade: A-

Production

Pros

Strong effective FG% (58%) which should translate well to the NBA game
45% of field goal attempts come from behind the arc, has confidence he can produce from distance
Solid assist numbers (3.3 per 36 minutes) for a wing in the EuroLeague; usually all offensive stats are lower
7.7 RPG per 36 minutes; solid for a small forward, can use these to jumpstart a break
During stints with his age group, Avdija was the leading scorer and the MVP, much better production, showing large potential

Cons

Small scoring production in either season at the highest level, will need adjustment period in league
Did not receive a lot of playing time (14 MPG) which is common at his age but still a red flag
Poor FT% needs to bring it to at least 70% so it is not a glaring weakness (55.6%)
2.6 turnovers per 36min is high but more aggressive defenders in EL could be the cause
2.0 fouls in only 14 minutes, struggled guarding experienced players in EuroLeague

Grade: B

Risk

Pros

Played in 2nd best professional league in the world against grown men
Was named MVP of 2019 FIBA U20 tournament and led Israel to a title; knows how to win
Knows the game inside & out and high IQ should eventually make him a natural leader
Has great potential in all areas of the game, there is no glaring weakness
Makes the right passes and has a ceiling of a superstar playmaker that can do it all on the court
Has American “swagger” that a lot of European players lack, he is not scared of the moment

Cons

Production was not great even by European league standards
Needs to work on specific moves to beat NBA defenders and put the ball in the basket
Genuine questions about if he will be able to guard front-court players due to his small wingspan or quicker guards
Will need time to adjust to NBA game and American society/culture; life adjustment could affect his play on the court
Despite Luka’s recent success, Euro prospects very rarely live up to top-5 draft pick status

Grade: B+

Overall

Every NBA draft contains a handful of European prospects who come into the NBA world with plenty of potential and just as many question marks. Deni Avdija is the latest of these foreign phenoms and looks to bring his confident play style to the league. He has had a fantastic start to his young professional career which officially began at the age of 16. He led Israel to back-to-back FIBA U20 championships being named MVP of the latter tournament in 2019.

Deni posses much of the common European traits. He has an incredible feel for the game and basketball IQ at such a young age. He can make incredible passes and is a solid size for a point forward (6’9″). Scouts have also noted an “American” side of his game which is more swagger and confidence than anything, but should help in adjusting to the NBA style of play.

As with many international prospects, there are questions about how far along in his development is he at and how he will adjust to the very new style the NBA brings. Regardless of these questions, he proved to be a valuable contributor in one of the most competitive leagues in the world, and should be an immediate help to any NBA team with a long-term ceiling about as high as any other player in the class.

Pro Comp: Hedo Türkoğlu

Projected Round/Pick: Early/Mid-Lottery

Prime Destinations: CLE (#5), ATL (#6) DET (#7)

OVERALL Grade: B+