Deni Avdija’s All-Star Case Is Growing Louder-And the Numbers Back It Up
It’s not often a player on a rebuilding team starts forcing his way into the All-Star conversation this early in the season-but Deni Avdija is doing exactly that. The Portland Trail Blazers forward is turning heads with a November run that’s hard to ignore, and it’s not just empty stats in blowouts. We’re talking about production that demands respect, regardless of where the Blazers sit in the standings.
In fact, if All-Star teams were being picked today, Avdija would be on the Western Conference roster. That’s the word from one early-season projection, which places him among the league’s top “single stars on teams that are unlikely to contend for a Finals berth.”
It's a group that includes names like Devin Booker, Lauri Markkanen, and James Harden-players who’ve long proven they can carry the load offensively. Now, Avdija’s earning a seat at that table.
And he’s not just squeaking onto the list. In one projection of the 12 West All-Stars, Avdija is included alongside near-locks and other rising stars like Chet Holmgren and Austin Reaves.
That’s a big deal. Especially when Holmgren, not Harden, gets the final spot in that group-underscoring just how competitive the field is.
For Avdija to be in that mix means he’s doing something special.
Let’s talk numbers. In November, Avdija averaged 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game, while shooting 47.1% from the field.
That’s not just solid-it’s All-Star-level efficiency and volume. He’s scoring, rebounding, facilitating, and doing it all with a level of consistency that suggests this isn’t a flash-in-the-pan stretch.
It’s the evolution of a player who’s figuring out how to lead a team.
He’s also making history. After a 31-point, 19-rebound, 10-assist performance against the Thunder on Sunday, Avdija became just the second player in league history to record 30+ points in each of his first four career triple-doubles.
That’s elite territory. We’re witnessing a player not just putting up big numbers, but doing it in ways that etch his name into the record books.
The only thing missing? Wins.
Portland’s record isn’t doing Avdija any favors in the standings, and that’s always a factor when it comes to All-Star voting. But sometimes, a player is just so good, the win-loss column takes a backseat.
That’s the kind of season Avdija is building-a campaign that could earn him a spot in Indianapolis this February, even if the Blazers are still finding their footing.
If he keeps this up, the All-Star nod won’t just be deserved-it’ll be inevitable.