The Washington Wizards are retooled and ready to hunt for the playoffs yet again. However, Deni Avdija, one of their key young players, may need some more time to ready himself for the 2022-23 NBA season.
Avdija suffered a groin injury this summer during his time playing for the Israeli national team in the EuroBasket tournament. He averaged 14.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.2 blocks per game, which were all team highs, while shooting 40.0 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from deep.
Avdija took a small step forward in his second season, averaging 8.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from deep. He appeared in all 82 games last year, starting just eight of them.
Playing time will not be easy to come by for the 21-year-old forward. After the Wizards added the likes of Will Barton and Johnny Davis to a team that already has Kyle Kuzma, Corey Kispert and Rui Hachimura, Avdija will have lots of competition to be a key wing for Washington. Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. trusted Avdija to guard some of the best players in the league, though, so he has shown that he can be productive. His offensive output must improve for him to secure a rotation spot.
The Wizards are eager to return to the playoffs with a new core of players around Beal. If Deni Avdija isn’t able to find himself a spot in the rotation, it could be the beginning of the end of his time in Washington.
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