The 2024/25 NBA season hasn't kicked off yet, but Deni Avdija's name is already making waves. Since joining Portland, the Israeli forward has received many compliments. However, some have misunderstood comments made by his new coach, Chauncey Billups, leading the coach to issue a clarification.
An Argentinian fan page for the Trail Blazers claimed that Billups called Deni Avdija the "best player" on the team. While the local media didn't pay much attention to this, many fans were surprised and started bombarding the coach with messages. This prompted Billups to clarify that he never meant such a thing.
"I never said that," Billups stated. "I don't understand where this came from; my words were completely taken out of context. I always stand by what I say, but I don't like when my words are misinterpreted. It affects too many people. My phone was flooded with messages, and so were the players'. We need to ignore the background noise of what's said in the media and on social networks."
Regarding Avdija, he said: "Deni is one of our better players. Don’t get me wrong. But I’ve never said that he was our best player. I wouldn’t say that he’s our best player. But he’s a very valuable player. I’m just so excited to coach him.”
Avdija practicing
Indeed, Avdija's name has been mentioned frequently lately. He performed at a high level in a practice game Portland held three days ago and was even named MVP. Additionally, he received compliments from his teammates. Anfernee Simons described him as "like a Swiss watch, capable of doing everything." Billups expressed confidence that fans will love him and called Avdija "a perfect player for us."
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