As befits every year at Athletic, they ranked the most promising young players in the league, and in 47th place was Danny Abdia, who received a lot of respect. The Israeli from Washington topped, among other things, promising names such as Emanuel Quickley, the great rookie of the Knicks who reached the 50th place and his teammate, Roy Hachimura who was chosen in the 49th place.
“I believe Abdia will become a player with 15 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds at some point,” Athletic wrote. “He could become a player like Gordon Hayward before he became an All-Star in Utah. Basically he’s everything Hachimura is not at this point, and I was willing to bet that Abdia would help the Wizards win more than Hachimura.”
“Abdia could be an effective top five player, helping the playoff team,” they continued with compliments. “He will have a higher ceiling if he can improve his athleticism.” Later in ‘Athletic’ they referred to qualities that make the Israeli a player with great potential. “I chose him in sixth place before the draft because he has the qualities to complete the stars of the league,” the USA wrote. “He is able to deliver at a very high level and also come out with blocks in the standing game. He has the mobility to penetrate the color and he also has the vision of the game that made it possible to penetrate the basket. “
Along with the good things in ‘Athletic’, they also referred to the less good period that Abdia is going through, but according to them, these are only growing pains. “His usage index is not high when he plays with players like Bradley Bill and Russell Westbrook. Despite that, I believe that over time the team will use him better and he will be able to become a sub-ball carrier who gets more opportunities.”
The site also noted the beginning of his career in the NBA: “Abdia broke into Washington’s top five thanks to his diverse style before Scott Brooks took him down to the bench,” the site noted. “His presence has contributed to the offense, which can get stuck at times. He makes sure the game flows thanks to quick decision making and he takes what the defense allows him whether it’s through a free throw or a basket penetration.”
Will Brooks give Avdia more credit? (GETTY)