Deni Avdija’s Career Night Fueled By ‘Hard Work And Patience’

Deni Avdija had himself a career night on Valentines Day, scoring a career-high 43 points while grabbing 14 rebounds as he led the short-handed Wizards in New Orleans.

Avdija became the first Wizard to record 40+ points and 15+ rebounds since Moses Malone on Jan. 12, 1987, per the team’s PR staff.

“It’s a little emotional,” Avdija said after the game. “I never thought that coming to the league, seeing all those numbers, those big players score those points, [I’d be] able to be that hot. All the hard work, the times that I was down or I didn’t have good games — I was down on myself a lot of times, and I stuck with it. I kept working hard, I kept being patient, I went through a lot. And for me, it’s only the start. I feel like I’m still getting better … but honestly, hard work and patience do pay off.”

While the Wizards lost the contest, these are the types of developments you want to see from a rebuilding team.

As we previously detailed in a feature on Avdija, the forward’s progress is fueled by his offseason work (as it is for many who make major strides in the NBA). Without Kyle Kuzma in the lineup, Avdija took full advantage of the opportunity to build on the progress he’s been making.

“A lot of my offense comes from me competing on defense and making stops and getting the rebounds,” Avdija continued. “That’s how I get in the game, that’s my bread and butter. It’s always going to be there, regardless of the offense, and I feel like that’s what gets me going a lot of games, getting to the defense, knowing the personnel, being there for my teammates and making big plays for the team to be able to compete.”