Ahead of Lillard and Morant: "Avdija is Portland's first option"
Despite the return of the Blazers star and the arrival of Ja, in the US they believe the ball should be in the Israeli's hands: "He proved what he is capable of achieving".
The NBA season will only kick off at the end of October, and in the meantime, Sports Illustrated believes there is no question who should be Portland's central player on offense in the 2026/27 season.
In an analysis published ahead of the season opener, the site ranked the Blazers' top three offensive options and placed Deni Avdija in first place, ahead of Damian Lillard and Ja Morant.
It was written about the Israeli:
"Despite the addition of Lillard and Morant, Avdija should still be the team's number one option. He is coming off the best season of his career, in which he averaged 24.2 points and 6.7 assists and became an All-Star for the first time. He was the leading scorer of an NBA playoff team, and that shows what his ceiling really is."
The site noted that the integration of the two new stars will change Avdija's role, but not his status: "At just 25 years old, he still has plenty of room to develop. He will need to take more catch-and-shoot threes and improve his percentages from beyond the arc. If he finds the balance between the role he had last season and the new opportunity alongside two dominant guards, he will be able to make the next leap in his career."
Ranked in second place was Ja Morant, who is expected to be "the engine that runs the offense" thanks to his passing ability and drives. Sports Illustrated noted that a fresh start in Portland might return him to the All-Star level he displayed before the injuries.
Damian Lillard was ranked only third, despite his status as one of the greatest players in franchise history. According to the analysis, the Blazers no longer need him to carry the entire offensive load as he did in the past. Coach Mike Norry even clarified his confidence in the veteran star when he told him upon his arrival: "I can guarantee you that if you are able to walk - you will start. And at the end of the game, we will make sure you get to your step-back shot to the left."
The site concluded that Portland has a "good problem" heading into the upcoming season: three players capable of leading an offense at a high level. However, from their perspective, the one who should continue to be the face of the Blazers on the offensive end is precisely Deni Avdija.
