NBA Comparison: Hedo Turkoglu
Strengths: All around talented wing with great size … Versatile, he can play from shooting guard to power forward … Great feel for the game … He possesses a high basketball I.Q … Very competitive, not afraid of the big stage … Jack of all trades, he can do just about everything on the floor … Has all the necessary tools to become a point forward in the future and work as a secondary play maker … Has been exposed to high level competition from a young age and has held his own … He is a better athlete than most people think … Great ball handler for a wing … Can create his own shot … He has shown great signs on Pull Up situations and shooting off the dribble … He already has a very good looking Step Back 3 that helps him punish switches … Attacks closeouts and can go all the way and finish plays at the rim … Very good in the open floor, either as the ball handler or filling the lanes as a wing … Elite court vision, he can see angles that few players his size can … Creative passer … Can play the Pick and Roll at a very good level as the ball handler, since he can either shoot, drive, or pass to the rolling big … He can see the weakside while driving to the basket … Very good in drive and kick situations … Has a good basic post up game which helps him score against smaller opponents either with brute force or with nice footwork … He can turn from either shoulder when he is posting up… Has improved considerably at moving without the ball and is an amazing cutter … Very good rebounder for his position… Versatile on the defensive end, he can guard from point guards to light power forwards … Has a nice low stance on defense … Good lateral quickness combined with his instincts help him stay in front off perimeter players when he is motivated … He gets in passing lanes and his active hands help him make steals … Terrific shot blocker for his position, understands the law of verticality and can make blocks coming from the weakside …
Weaknesses: Has a below average wingspan (6-9) for his size … Needs to continue bulking up, but be careful not to lose his flexibility and mobility … His competitive nature can get the better of him sometimes and make him lose concentration for a few plays … He can lose focus from time to time and look a little lethargic on the floor … Doesn’t have an elite burst which limits him in isolation situations … He has problems blowing by athletic opponents from a standstill, which makes him settle for mid-range shots … His below 70% free throw shooting is alarming for a wing … Needs work in Spot Up and Catch and Shoot situations… He is a streaky shooter for now, he could go hot or cold at any time … Has problems creating separation against long, athletic opponents for now … He has the tendency to change mechanics when opponents are closing out on him on the perimeter … Extremely right hand dominant when driving to the basket, which can make him predictable … Left hand needs a lot of work… His lack of elite athletic tools hurts him when he has to finish at the rim against length … Has problems finishing through contact and at times even looks like he is trying to avoid contact altogether … He occasionally gets stuck with the ball in his hands, dribbling, becoming kind of a ball stopper … If he wants to be a good creator at an NBA level he must improve at changing speeds and direction … It would be beneficial for him to add some counters to his post up game … Decision making still needs some work, as he can try to do things too fast or too slow at times, which leads to turnovers … His passes can be a little off sometimes … Assist/turnover ratio should improve … His energy on defense can be inconsistent … Gets caught up behind screens when he is chasing a shooter … He might be a step too slow when he is guarding a good athlete on the perimeter, which could be problematic … Has problems reading screens on the defensive end in Pick and Roll situations …
Outlook: Deni Avdija is generally considered the best player of his generation in Europe … He has been amazing at FIBA’s Youth championships for years … On paper he is the definition of a new era wing, since he could be a two way force with great offensive skill set and above average defensive potential … His ability to create for himself and his teammates is that makes him so unique … If he ends up in the right environment he has a shot to develop into something special …
Notes: He is Israeli-Serbian… He is the son of Zufer Avdija, a former basketball player who was a member of former Yugoslavia national team… He was one of the best players of U20 Israel team that won the gold medal ot FIBA's European Championship 2018 at the age of 17 and member of the All-Tournament team … One year later, in 2019, he lead Israel to a second straight gold medal at FIBA’s U20 European Championship and was declared the MVP at the age of 18
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