The New York Knicks are preparing for the draft. Among the Knicks options is Deni Avdija.
At just 19, Avdija’s game creation skills are top notch. He has several ways of scoring, which includes the desire to go to the rack and initiate contact or pull up for a jumper. He knows how to use his length well, and, as NBA.com’s Eric Fawcett said, “incredibly smart when he gets away from the ball he enjoys easy back slashes and slips when he sees a defensive mistake.”
Avdija also doesn’t have to be the main playmaker on his team, which would benefit those like RJ Barrett who want to create in attack as well. But make no mistake, experts believe his game can translate very well into the modern NBA and his scoring skills have even more room to grow.
But on the other side of the ball, Avdija can defend like no other. As we noted, he uses his mental capacity for the game and his length to defend and create pressure on the scorers. That would bode well with Tom Thibodeau as Avdija’s head coach, with defense being such an important emphasis.