Wiz of Awes
Fansided

NBA Twitter is torn over Deni Avdija’s controversial on-court moment

ByCem Yolbulan|
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 18: Deni Avdija #8 of the Washington Wizards grabs the rebound in the first half against the New York Knicks during a preseason game at Madison Square Garden on October 18, 2023 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 18: Deni Avdija #8 of the Washington Wizards grabs the rebound in the first half against the New York Knicks during a preseason game at Madison Square Garden on October 18, 2023 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

NBA preseason is usually not the best environment to make sweeping takeaways about a team. Players and teams usually play in second gear and prioritize their fitness levels and team chemistry over results. Despite the Washington Wizards winning their third straight preseason game last night against the New York Knicks, one moment raised the eyebrows of Wizards hopefuls and NBA fans.

At the end of the first half, Jordan Poole took a difficult step-back three-pointer instead of passing to Deni Avdija, who was wide open on the other side of the court. Despite Poole’s shot going in, Avdija wasn’t too thrilled with this decision. Not only did Avdija gesture and pout as the shot went up, but he also didn’t celebrate the bucket. He looked visibly upset for the rest of the half.

As expected, NBA Twitter didn’t miss the opportunity to dish out hot takes.

https://twitter.com/BrickMuse/status/1714846744394264828

The right play here is obviously passing the ball to Avdija. He is wide open and one easy pass away while Poole is swarmed by his defender. However, at that stage of the game, Poole was running hot, having already hit multiple threes and scored over 20 points. It is understandable that Poole wanted to have a little heat check. It is a preseason game after all. Plenty of Twitter users pointed this out.

It is also understandable that Avdija would be upset. This was his first game of the season after returning from injury. There were plenty of possessions in the first half where Poole took the first available shot without any ball movement or even a pass. Avdija, who is the longest-tenured Wizard on the team and expecting a contract extension from the team, presumably wanted more touches. Instead, he finished the half with four field goal attempts compared to Poole’s 14.

Yet, it’s important to note that Avdija wasn’t playing a particularly good offensive game. He wasn’t creating good enough shots or hitting his jumpers. One could easily argue that the shot Poole took there is a higher-percentage shot than an open Avdija three-pointer.

Plus, Avdija should know that this is Poole and Kuzma’s team now. Where Avdija is in his career right now is a defense-first role player. He will get his chances to run pick & rolls and attack closeouts, but unless he becomes a better shooter and scorer, he is going to have to defer to Poole and Kuzma on this team, especially if they are running as hot as Poole was in that first half.

These are normal problems for an NBA team to have. It is up to coach Wes Unseld Jr. and the veterans on the team to make sure this isn’t a regular issue or blown out of proportion. Team chemistry and culture have been talking points for the new Wizards regime since taking over. This will be one of the first challenges they need to navigate carefully to build that winning culture.

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