5 Things I Liked from Deni Avdija's Recent Blazers Comments

The Portland Trail Blazers are putting together their final preparations before their season opener on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns.

The Blazers have a lot of new, exciting things going into the season, but Deni Avdija might be the most important piece to the puzzle. Avdija led the team in scoring last season and he has shown in the preseason why he is the top player on the roster still, even with Ja Morant and Damian Lillard returning to the floor.

Avdija spoke to members of the media recently about where the team is going into the season.

Spirits are High

Optimism is at an all-time high for the Blazers as they are getting ready to embark on their 82-game schedule. As basketball gets closer and closer, the excitement continues to build, and that's exactly where a team like the Blazers should be at this point in the year.

Versatility in Lineups

The Blazers have a unique roster construction with a number of players who can act as ball handlers. Morant, Lillard, Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday all have some point guard experience, but they will be asked to play different positions throughout the year.

The same can be said for the front court as well. As the team experiments with different lineups and rotations, they know they have several different combinations of players who can work things out on the floor at any given moment.

Improving on Defense

Avdija took a massive leap from his first season in Portland to last year, and he's hoping for a similar trajectory going into his third season with the team.

The biggest way Avdija can improve is on the defensive end, especially considering that the team is extremely short in the backcourt. They don't have very many big guards, as the four aforementioned point guards all stand 6-4 or shorter. The lack of size in the backcourt will put a little bit more pressure on the frontcourt players, including Avdija, who has the advantage of being able to guard multiple positions at 6-8

Focus on Team Rebounding

Again, due to the lack of size in the backcourt, making sure the team produces a collaborative effort on the boards is a point of emphasis. All five players need to be focused on rebounding because they may already be at some size disadvantages. That focus should play a large role going into the season and is something to watch for the team over these first couple of games toward the end of the week.

Sacrifices Will Be Made

The Blazers are an incredibly selfless team. They are all focused on the common goal rather than individual stats, which is the only way a team can succeed in the NBA.

It seems like all of the people are coming in at the right time and are focused on the end result as the most important thing. That should give fans an exciting mindset about the season, and the hope is that Portland can pull out as many wins as possible to improve upon their 42-40 record from a year ago.