Washington Wizards: 3 players that have failed to meet expectations
By Ethan Smith
Deni Avdija
Even as some draft experts were lauding Deni Avdija as the steal of the draft when he slipped to the Wizards at number nine, it was clear Avdija would be a bit of a project. However, even if Avdija was picked largely because of his potential rather than his ability to contribute from day one, he still wasted no time proving he belonged. Avdija was starting for the Wizards on opening night.
His role was never one that was going to put him on display to the degree that other rookies like Anthony Edwards or LaMelo Ball or Tyrese Haliburton. However, Avdija’s rankings among rookies across a few catch-all stats don’t scream “Top Ten Pick!!” Here’s how Avdija ranks in Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Box Plus/Minus, and Value Over Replacement among rookies with at least 500 minutes played this season as of May 7, per Stathead…
- PER: 32nd
- WS: 20th
- BPM: 26th
- VORP: 29th
That’s not exactly head-of-the-class. By no means is Avdija a lost cause or a bust, though. When next season tips off, Avdija will still be just twenty years old. And although his rookie season was unfortunately cut short, Avdija’s season-ending ankle injury won’t require surgery. So he’ll be good to go for season two.
He may not be making any All-Rookie teams, but Avdija definitely showed some promise during his rookie season, and there’s a lot to be excited about moving forward. However, while the potential is exciting, his production wasn’t that of a top ten pick in year one.