Blazers' Deni Avdija continues All-Star season in win over Cavaliers

Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers is not a household name. If he keeps playing as he did on Wednesday in Cleveland, he might just be an NBA All-Star.

Portland's forward had 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and shot 16-of-17 from the foul line as the Blazers upset the Cleveland Cavaliers, 122-110. The Cavaliers got close a few times in the fourth quarter, but Avdija repeatedly answered with big baskets and a crucial steal down the stretch.

Deni Avdija's statistics have dramatically improved since last season

Avdija is averaging 25.8 points this season, way up from last year's 16.9 PPG. He's dramatically upped his assists from 3.9 to 6.2 per game while making 2.5 three-pointers at a 37.4 percent rate, nearly 50 percent more than his 1.7 threes last year.

The Blazers are using Avdija as their primary offensive option, and he's responding, maintaining or even improving his shooting at a much higher volume. Where he's really altered his game is how often he's getting to the foul line. He was taking 5.2 free throws per game last year, and now he's taking 9.6.

It's not flopping, either. Avdija is driving to the hoop more than anyone else in the NBA, more than Cade Cunningham, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Zion Williamson. That's why he's getting so many free throws, and part of how he's shooting nearly 50 percent between three and 10 feet of the basket.