Deni Avdija named West player of the week amid All-Star push

Israeli basketball star Deni Avdija was named NBA Western Conference Player of the Week on Monday before leading the Portland Trail Blazers to a commanding victory against the visiting Utah Jazz with another clutch performance.

The 137-117 win at Moda Center was the team’s third straight with “Turbo” leading the charge as he bids to become the first Israeli to play in the NBA All-Star Game next month in Los Angeles. Portland went 3-1 overall during Week 11 (Dec. 30–Jan. 5), with Avdija adding to his career numbers as his sixth season continues to shape up as a breakout one, averaging 26.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game for the week.

He is sharing the weekly honors with Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey in the Eastern Conference.

Portland’s versatile small forward scored 33 points, including 23 in the first half, and grabbed 8 rebounds along with 9 assists in 29 minutes of solid play. His performance included four buckets from beyond the arc and a plus/minus of 23.

The 17-20 Blazers currently sit in ninth place in the Western Conference standings and fourth in the Northwest Division. The team will next be in action for two consecutive home games against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday and on Friday, Pacific time, 10 hours behind Israel.

A native of Beit Zera, a kibbutz just south of the Sea of Galilee, the 25-year-old is having a breakout season in the City of Roses, his second in the Pacific Northwest after being traded by the Washington Wizards. He played four seasons in D.C. after they selected him ninth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Avdija celebrated his birthday on Saturday by posting his third triple-double of the campaign in a 115-110 road win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Updated results for the All-Star Game fan vote to determine the five starters in each conference will be publicized on Tuesday. As of the first fan returns on Dec. 29, Avdija sits in seventh place with 606,299 votes, placing him ahead of legends Kevin Durant and LeBron James at the eighth and ninth spots, respectively.

The 75th NBA All-Star Game, hosted by the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Arena in Inglewood, is scheduled for Feb. 15.

“I appreciate the fans. Crazy. I saw that I was seven on the votes and people are actually like putting a lot of effort in voting for me and wanting me to be there,” Avdija told the media after the Utah game. “It’s not in my control. I can only play and be focused on winning and playing good with the team. But I just appreciate the fan support around the world that really give me a chance to maybe be there. It’s a big honor.”

Fans account for 50% of the vote to determine the five starters, while current NBA players and a media panel each make up 25%.

Wearing No. 8, Avdija is averaging 25.7 points, 7.1 assists and 7.3 rebounds so far this season, hitting significant milestones along the way, including on Dec. 5, when he became Israel’s all-time NBA scoring leader, surpassing former Sacramento Kings forward Omri Casspi’s career total of 4,642 points.

Before his NBA career, Avdija made his mark with Maccabi Tel Aviv from 2017 to 2020, leading the team to three domestic league titles. He also won back-to-back gold medals at the FIBA U20 European Championship in 2018 in Germany and 2019 on home soil in Israel.

His accolades include being named Israeli Premier League MVP in 2020 and FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship MVP in 2019.