Avdija is a 19-year-old Israeli forward who most recently played for Maccabi Tel Aviv in his home country. He is the son of Zufer Avdija, who also played professionally in Europe.
He made his professional debut at 16, becoming the youngest to ever play for Maccabi Tel Aviv’s senior team. He helped Maccabi Tel Aviv to three consecutive Israeli League championships from 2018-20 and became the youngest MVP in league history this past season.
At 6-feet-9 and 215 pounds, Avdija can play both forward spots while handling the ball and initiating the offense.
He averaged 13.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game in the 2019-20 Israel – Winner League.
Avdija draws comparisons to fellow European Dario Saric, who does a little bit of everything well.
Avdija’s biggest strength is his playmaking and vision, making him a fit for a “point forward” role. His ballhandling is valuable in the pick-and-roll and pushing the ball in transition. He is also a solid finisher inside. The biggest concern about Avdija is his shooting. He shot 38.7 percent from 3-point distance in 2019-20 and, more glaringly, 58.1 percent on free throws. Tweaked mechanics yielded better results in recent months, but there is not yet enough evidence to conclude his shot is fixed for good.
Avdija also has the ability to play within a team defensive scheme.
In an uncertain draft, Avdija is an uncertain prospect. The inconsistent competition level in Israel can make it challenging to evaluate him. But for a team with bona fide scorers, especially at guard, Avdija could be an intriguing pick.
Lottery pick
–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)
The San Francisco Giants will look to further close the gap in their all-time rivalry with the visiting Oakland Athletics when they seek a second straight win Wednesday night in…
The Cleveland Guardians and Los Angeles Angels will play the third game of their four-game series Wednesday night in Anaheim, Calif., as the Guardians try to rediscover their offense. Cleveland’s…
The Los Angeles Kings are playoff-bound for the first time since the 2017-18 season. The Kings (43-27-10, 96 points) punched their postseason ticket Tuesday night when Dallas defeated Vegas in…
Guardians, slumping Franmil Reyes take on Shohei Ohtani’s Angels
Playoff-bound Kings seek to keep Kraken reeling
Six-man rotation kicks in as Astros, Cristian Javier face Rangers
Jason Robertson, Stars can lock up playoff berth vs. Coyotes
Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM
