Spurs are teaching Deni Avdija a hard lesson he won't soon forget

Deni Avdija was supposed to be Portland's best offensive weapon in this series, but outside of his Game 1 performance, he hasn't been the big bad wolf that he was made out to be. That's a credit to the Spurs' scouting department, coaching staff, and players for executing their defensive game plan against the Most Improved Player of the Year finalist.

Spurs have exposed the biggest flaw in Deni Avdija's offensive game

As great as the 6'8" forward was in the regular season, he's learning what happens when your game is limited to putting your shoulder down and charging into the paint. That strategy is only going to get you so far in the playoffs. Portland's one playoff win thus far (and the only one they should get) came on the back of an out-of-body performance from Scoot Henderson, but there's a reason Scoot was so hard to stop.

He was throwing a versatile bag at San Antonio's defenders. It's harder to key in on a guy when he's driving, pulling up off the dribble, hitting step-back threes, etc., and 2023's third overall pick was doing it all. Not to mention he's an explosive athlete with a lightning-quick first step.

All it seems to take to stop Avdija is sitting on his right hand, absorbing the contact on his drives, and trying not to foul. That last part is the most difficult piece of the puzzle to accomplish. As Victor Wembanyama said during the All-Star Break, Deni shoots a lot of free throws. Some took it as a shot from the Alien, and maybe it was, but it also has the benefit of being the truth.

The Trail Blazers star must evolve as a ball player. A more consistent midrange and a respectable three-point shot are necessary for him if he's truly going to be special. Right now, I'm getting "Is this your king?" vibes from this dude. He was so cocky coming in. Now, if he doesn't get to the free-throw line, he's not adding much value to his team at all.

Portland missed their best chance to steal this series

Avdija will have to do more than score at the charity stripe if the Trail Blazers have any chance of extending this series. And quite frankly, they just lost their best chance to do that. That 7'4" celestial is likely coming back in Game 4, and he's going to be upset about being forced to miss one of these games.

We all remember what he did in Game 1. Another standout performance like that could be on the way. If it happens, there won't be much Avdija and company can do about it anyway. Wembanyama is the best player in the world when he's at his best, and his young boys just woke up. The rest of the series should be a breeze.

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