Can Deni Avdija be the Washington Wizards’ version of Ben Simmons?

After the Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Atlanta Hawks, no one received more blame than point guard/wandering big man Ben Simmons. Immediately his name was tossed into the trade machine, with the Washington Wizards becoming a popular landing spot for fans to discuss.

On the surface, you can see why. The Wizards need defense. The 76ers need an assertive playmaker. Westbrook and Simmons could be swapped fairly easily, with a little salary matching to be done on the back-end. But if you take a minute to really think about it, you realize a Ben Simmons trade would be a horrendous move for the Wizards.

Besides, what if the Wizards already have a version of Ben Simmons on the roster?

I wrote recently that new coach Wes Unseld Jr. should give Deni Avdija some time as the backup point guard. It never made much sense to sequester Avdija as a spot-up shooter when he thrives with the ball in his hands and can make plays for others. Luckily, coach Unseld seems to feel the same way. He had this to say about last year’s lottery pick during his introductory press conference:

"“I think Deni’s got a lot of potential … I think there’s a lot of versatility there, obviously. But I think he’s got a lot of physical tools, obviously struggled a little bit with the shooting.”"

The two players aren’t a clean comparison. Avdija is 6’9 compared to Simmons’ 6’11 frame. Last season, Avdija’s usage rate was a measly 12 percent compared to 20 percent for Simmons. Each plays a completely different role for their respective teams, but they do share one unfortunate similarity. They are both pretty subpar free-throw shooters.

Can the Washington Wizards turn Deni Avdija into their own version of Ben Simmons?

But there’s something to be said about potential and versatility when it comes to Deni Avdija.

While Avdija isn’t as big as Simmons, 6’9 is still a formidable and intimidating size at the point guard position. He has the length, defensive instincts, and the ability to move in transition that could prove extremely helpful off the bench behind Russell Westbrook, or alongside him when Bradley Beal sits.

Especially when the Wizards’ options a year ago were 6’0 Ish Smith and 6’1 Raul Neto.

Like Ben Simmons, Avdija is most comfortable with the ball in his hands, rather than as a primary scoring option or outside shooter. He likes to get out in transition, crash the offensive boards when opposing defenses fall asleep, and throw down the occasional slam, too. But unlike Simmons, Avdija isn’t afraid to shoot when he has to.

Take a look at this sequence against the Los Angeles Lakers from February in which he becomes the primary defender against LeBron James.

Avdija’s a little twitchy here and had LeBron been a little younger, he probably would’ve beaten Avdija on that first step. But knowing Rui Hachimura is ready and willing to help, Avdija keeps a body on LeBron all the way to the basket and forces a missed shot.

He goes on to take and make a no-hesitation three to put the Wizards up by three with less than a minute remaining.

The biggest question is: Can Coach Unseld unlock his defensive ability? Some players have a more natural instinct for that side of the ball than others, and Avdija has shown flashes of real, defensive engagement. Prior to fracturing his fibular, you could occasionally catch him doing things like this:

According to the LEBRON stat from Bball Index, Avdija’s defensive impact was similar to or better than that of many notable defensive stoppers and elite players during his rookie season. D-Lebron measures a player’s defensive impact per 100 possessions. Avdija finished the season with a 1.36 D-Lebron rating. Here’s how that ranks against some notable names:

• LeBron James: 1.38
• Jrue Holiday: 1.37
• Kawhi Leonard: 1.28
• Andrew Wiggins: 1.25
• Bam Adebayo: 1.22
• OG Anunoby: 1.08

Whether or not Deni Avdija will be the Ben Simmons of the Wizards remains to be seen, but as it stands now, he is not a sharp enough shooter to be playing as a catch-and-shoot wing. Like Simmons, he can contribute in other ways, and it starts by putting the ball in his hands. The tools are there, we just have to believe Coach Unseld can bring them out of him.