2/26: Deni Goes To Hollywood
You're reading DENI DIARY, a weekly dispatch from Deni Avdija’s rookie season. Filling in for Louis this week is longtime friend, fellow Clipper fan, and part-time Israeli, Daniel Bain (follow me on Twitter!)
It wasn’t too long ago that the Wizards started the season by losing five straight and eight of their first 11 games, and then had six consecutive games postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak...only to finally resume their season with four consecutive losses by 16 or more points. Calling it a rough start to the season would be underselling it just a bit.
If I had told you then that just a month later they’d be capping off a five-game winning streak with a thrilling, come-from-behind overtime victory against the defending champs, you’d probably think I was crazy. Unless you’re this guy, in which case, I just think you’re crazy:
But that’s exactly what happened! And though the box score might not show it, Deni Avdija played a leading role in that game’s improbable Hollywood ending. Let’s break down Deni’s performance in the 4th quarter:
10:40 - LeBron James posts up the much smaller Raul Neto on the left block, and as the defense converges on him, he tries to zip a crosscourt pass to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for a corner three. Deni picks it off, pushes the ball up court, and gets the hockey assist on a Davis Bertans three to cut the Lakers’ lead to 88-87.
10:07 - Some 20 seconds later, Russell Westbrook drives down the lane and kicks it out to Deni on the left wing, who scores his first points of the game on a big three of his own to give the Wizards a 90-88 lead.
8:23 - Deni outmuscles Montrezl Harrell for a big defensive rebound and makes an outlet pass to a streaking Westbrook, who takes two dribbles and lays it in to tie the game at 92.
7:35 - To be honest, this one was just a “right place, right time” play. After a Wizards turnover, Bradley Beal steals the ball right back at midcourt and tosses it ahead to a wide open Deni for the layup to tie the game again at 94.
1:15 - With the Wizards leading 111-108, and Avdija guarding James at the top of the key, LeBron attacks the basket. He tries to bulldoze his way through as he has for nearly 18 years now, but Deni holds his ground, sticking with him the whole way and contesting the shot beautifully to force a miss. (The Lakers ended up getting the offensive rebound which led to a Caldwell-Pope three-pointer, but that wasn’t Deni’s fault!)
0:51 - After Caldwell-Pope’s three ties the game at 111, the Wizards come back down and get the ball to Westbrook on the left wing. He drives to the rim, and as the defense collapses on him, he finds Deni open in the right corner for a wide open three. Bottoms. 114-111, Wizards lead.
This didn’t end up being the deciding bucket, but it was a huge shot for the rookie. The Lakers forced overtime thanks to some heroics from James, and the two teams traded baskets for much of the extra period. The Wizards played their starters the bulk of the overtime minutes. In the waning seconds of the game, with the Wizards up by three, Deni was brought back in for defensive purposes.
With five seconds left, LeBron badly misses a long three (maybe it’s the acoustics of the empty arena, but that brick was LOUD). Kyle Kuzma gathers the long rebound and airballs a desperate heave right into the waiting hands of Deni Avdija, who promptly launches the ball skyward in celebration as the final buzzer sounds.
Clunk.
In total, Deni finished the game with 8 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal in 23 minutes of play. These stats don’t jump off the page, especially in a game where Westbrook and Beal each scored over 30. But this was a great all-around performance.
After the game, he had this to say:
This is a 20-year-old rookie talking about the GOAT (yes, LeBron is the GOAT). Considering the rough start this team has had, Deni’s recent struggles, and his move to the bench, it’s hard not to love this attitude. Deni does not shy away from the spotlight.
The very next night, the Wizards ran into the buzzsaw that is the fully-healthy Los Angeles Clippers team. Deni struggled, going scoreless in 12 minutes off the bench. The Wizards stormed back from 18 points down to make it a five point game going into the fourth quarter, but ultimately ran out of gas. Their win streak ended at five games.
Still, there was plenty to feel good about. Even with the loss, the Wizards are only 2.5 games back of the 8th playoff spot in the East. It didn’t seem possible just a month ago, but is it OK to start thinking about what Playoff Deni might look like? Seeing him rise to the occasion in these big moments against LeBron is just a ton of fun to watch, and I’m getting excited just thinking about him doing the same against Kevin Durant or Giannis in a seven game series.
I’m probably getting ahead of myself, but one thing we know for sure: when the time comes, he won’t be afraid.
On Friday, we celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim. This holiday celebrates the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation, this time at the hands of the Persian King’s royal vizier, Haman. His plans to kill all the Jews in the empire were foiled by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai, and the day of destruction quickly transformed into a day of celebration.
From this comes the concept of v’nahafoch hu, roughly translated as “and it was turned on its head.” The fortune of the Jewish people changed in an instant, turning from grief and mourning to joy and jubilation. Purim is considered one of the happiest days of the year, filled with feasts, parties, costumes, schtick, and copious amounts of alcohol. In our quest to make things topsy-turvy, things can be a bit chaotic, too.
This Purim also marks one year since much of the world was flipped on its head. In 2020, the holiday fell on March 10th. This would be the last time I set foot inside a synagogue, and the last day many people would attend any public gatherings, including NBA games. The very next day, as you probably remember, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus, and the NBA season came to a screeching halt. The rest of the world followed soon after.
Nearly a year later, it’s hard not to focus on the chaos of v’nahafoch hu. The pandemic is still here, and many schools, businesses, synagogues, and other public and communal gathering spaces remain closed. While the NBA is back, players are playing in front of empty seats with the eerie, artificial sounds of a crowd that seems to be watching a different game. The world is still very much turned on its head.
But the true meaning of this holiday isn’t about chaos as much as it is about celebrating survival and resilience in the face of it, hanging in there until things flip back again. In this past year, we’ve learned to adjust our lives to the chaos around us. (I’m sure you’ve heard about Zoom by now and how it can be used to work from home and keep in touch with friends and family, so I’ll skip talking about that here). We've survived a full year of a world turned on its head, and in time, the world will be flipped back to some semblance of normal.
Wishing everyone a safe and happy Purim!