4. Deni Avdija, wing, Maccabi Tel Aviv
Deni Avdija came off the bench for Maccabi Tel Aviv, a premier program in what is universally considered the second-best basketball league in the world. In fact, he has been with the program since he was 16. Avdija is the real deal, and while he’s not the most exciting Euro prospect in recent memory, he does project as an immediately useful NBA player.
At 6-foot-8, Avdija blends point guard skills with the size of a small power forward. He is legitimately one of the best passers in the draft, with a razor-sharp eye for open teammates. A player of Avdija’s size working out of the pick-and-roll is always deadly, and only more so when you can inverse it and have Avdija screen and roll.
With plenty of craft and touch on interior shots, it would stand to reason that Avdija’s 3-point stroke will improve over time. He has grown considerably in that department of late, but he’s still a streaky and unreliable marksman. That is his swing skill. A consistent 3-point shot transform Avdija from a solid starter to a potential All-Star.