Portland Trail Blazers Face Ball-Distribution Dilemma With New Big Three
The Locked On Blazers podcast analyzes how Portland can balance the roles of Deni Avdija, Damian Lillard, and Ja Morant. Host Mike Richman warns against limiting Avdija's driving ability.
Portland's New Roster Sparks Debate Over Ball Distribution
The new roster of the Portland Trail Blazers has raised several questions regarding the division of roles between Deni Avdija, Damian Lillard, and Ja Morant. The Locked On Blazers podcast recently dedicated an entire episode to analyzing how the team's three primary playmakers can function effectively together.
Podcast host Mike Richman emphasized that the main issue is the overlap in roles. According to him, Avdija, Lillard, and Morant are the team's three best offensive players, but all three are accustomed to being particularly effective with the ball in their hands and making decisions on offense. Amidst this discussion, Avdija received high praise. Richman described him as a "superstar at driving to the basket" and added that he was one of the league's standout players last season in generating points through drives and kick-out passes.
"What made Deni one of the roughly 20 best players in the league last season is that he got the ball in his hands and charged to the basket," Richman said. "You don't really want to take that away from him."
Balancing Star Power and Player Strengths
Later in the episode, Richman stressed: "I think Deni is expected to be the Blazers' best player this season." From his perspective, this is precisely why Portland must be careful not to relegate the Israeli forward to a mere role player just to solve the ball-distribution puzzle.
"You don't want to turn Deni into some sort of Rashard Lewis," he explained, referencing the forward who spent much of his career primarily as a floor-spacing role player. "He still needs to be himself."
Richman noted that while Avdija is capable of playing without the ball, the best version of him emerges when he attacks the paint rather than functioning strictly as a stationary shooter on the perimeter.
Finding the Right Equilibrium
"You don't want to take away the players' strengths," Richman concluded. "Deni is a threat on drives and you want him doing that a lot. Ja is great with the ball in his hands and creates advantages. Damian has been at his best as a creator with the ball. They need to find the balance."
Ultimately, this dynamic will be the central storyline following Portland at the start of the season: not whether the three stars can share the floor, but whether the Trail Blazers can manage it without compromising what made Avdija their primary engine.
