Blue Man Hoop
Fansided

Golden State Warriors: Pros and cons of drafting Deni Avdija

By Tony Pesta

MUNICH, GERMANY - MARCH 07: Deni Avdija of Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv looks on prior to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague match between FC Bayern Munich and Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv at Audi Dome on March 07, 2019 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
MUNICH, GERMANY - MARCH 07: Deni Avdija of Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv looks on prior to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague match between FC Bayern Munich and Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv at Audi Dome on March 07, 2019 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Deni Avidja is a sleeper pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Here are the pros and cons of the Golden State Warriors selecting him.

The Golden State Warriors were reportedly blown away by their workout with Deni Avdija and will be seriously considering him at the No. 2 spot in the 2020 NBA Draft. However, most analysts are split on whether or not Avdija is a worthwhile prospect. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of his game.

Pros

Firstly, Avdija stands out as a player with great size and fluidity at the wing. He stands at 6’9″ and moves slightly slower than a guard. His athleticism isn’t off the charts but it’s enough to make him an interesting prospect, especially when you combine it with his court vision which gives him the potential to be a secondary playmaker for many teams.

Avdija has a selfless attitude that will fit right in with the Warriors. He also has a clean release on catch-and-shoot opportunities. Lastly, his size and IQ should help him become a reliable team defender. These three factors can help Avdija find success with the Dubs.

Cons

However, Avdija’s lack of high-end athleticism will make life more difficult for him on both ends of the floor. Though he has solid size, he hasn’t shown any willingness to get physical. This could leave him defending smaller (but faster) players on the perimeter as he is stuck in between positions.

As for shooting, Avdija might never be able to create his own shot. His catch-and-shoot release is pure but he becomes shakey off the dribble. He shot below 30 percent from the 3-point line and less than 60 percent from the free-throw stripe. These are not encouraging indicators for his trajectory at the NBA level.

Conclusion

Nonetheless, Avdija has shown that he is ready to put in the work required to improve. This could actually help his case for the Warriors as they can offer an environment for him to hone his skills behind star players.

Avdija could develop into a versatile forward with playmaking and shooting capabilities. However, the Warriors might not be interested in taking on a project such as Avdija – and might be better looking elsewhere in the draft.

Home/Warriors Draft