Deni Avdija's Rise May Force Ja Morant to Bench Role

A writer for the Portland Trail Blazers-focused website Rip City Project, Reese Kunz, argues that the team should consider bringing newly acquired star Ja Morant off the bench to accommodate the continued development of Israeli forward Deni Avdija. Kunz highlighted Avdija's breakout season as the most significant story for Portland last year, emphasizing his versatile play and ability to initiate offense. This development, Kunz noted, forced interim coach Thiago Spittler to rely on Avdija as a point-forward, a role he was already growing into under former coach Chauncey Billups.

Kunz asserted that the Trail Blazers' success, including their seventh-place finish and 42-40 record, was largely due to Avdija's playmaking. His size and skill set created matchup problems for opponents, similar to how players like Cade Cunningham and Luka Dončić operate. The writer suggested that acquiring Morant, a move by general manager Joe Cronin, could be viewed positively if it complements Avdija's strengths. However, Kunz expressed concern that Portland may not have a clear plan for integrating Morant, unlike the Los Angeles Lakers who have built their roster around Luka Dončić's needs.

The article suggests that Avdija's emergence as a star player makes the Trail Blazers' decision not to double down on him this offseason puzzling. Instead of fully committing to Avdija, they pursued Morant. While the trade involved shedding disappointing players like Kris Murray and Jeremy Grant, Kunz warns that Morant could hinder the team's established success. He pointed out that Avdija's breakout coincided with the team's playoff appearance, and the logical next step should be surrounding him with complementary players.

Kunz proposed that the return of Damian Lillard could provide much-needed spacing for Avdija's drives to the basket. He questioned what Morant offers that directly benefits Avdija's game, though he acknowledged Morant could serve as a secondary ball-handler, easing the playmaking burden on Avdija. The writer concluded that if Morant is viewed as a core piece of the rebuild rather than a complementary player for an existing playoff team, the trade could become an obstacle for Avdija and Portland's young core. Therefore, Kunz believes Morant should start the season as the team's sixth man.