Two goals for Deni Avdija if he’s picked by Cavs in 2020 NBA Draft
By Mason Cole
Deni Avdija Cleveland Cavaliers goal #1: Become a solid three-point shooter
It is no secret that Deni Avdija was not the best marksman in the Euroleague this past season. Avdija finished the season shooting an abysmal 27.7 percent from behind the three-point arc. He also was only able to connect on 55.6 percent of his free throw attempts.
Granted, Avdija in I-BSL play, in which he was in a much bigger role, did hit 35.3 percent of his triple attempts, which was a plus.
For Avdija to succeed in Cleveland, or in most places in the NBA for that matter, he quite frankly must become a better free throw and three-point shooter, though. The NBA is a three-point shooting league, and if Avdija never becomes a good shooter from the wing, he will never be able to reach his true potential.
And if he comes to Cleveland, there is a good chance that Deni will at some point replace Cedi Osman in the Cavs starting five.
This would mean Avdija would find himself starting next to Darius Garland, Collin Sexton and Kevin Love, all three of whom are players who like to make plays with the ball in their hands. For Avdija to seamlessly fit into the Cleveland Cavaliers offense, he must be able to shoot the ball at least at a solid rate in order to be a kick-out option for ball dominant players like Sexton.
Deni Avdija has plenty of ways through which he can positively impact an offense. He is a good cutter in off-ball situations, he has a great basketball IQ and he is able to make passes through opposing defenders, but if his shooting average never rises, he will never reach the fullest point of his potential, especially from deep.
If Avdija is drafted by Cleveland, his first goal should be to improve his three-point shooting.
The second goal has to do with a different element of his offensive game.