In a recent post, we asked readers to identify the best player for the Portland Trail Blazers in the season to come. The results are in. The response was overwhelming for Deni Avdija. The vast majority of commenters affirmed that the starting small forward was the brightest light in Portland’s constellation right now, with a few votes for Shaedon Sharpe, who was at least a mild favorite for becoming the best player three years down the road.

The results of the survey weren’t surprising, but they did bring up a question in my mind. Is Deni Avdija truly a #1 player, someone a team can hitch their wagon to for the long haul?

I love Avdija’s game and enthusiasm. He’s got everything you’d want: defense, hustle and speed, court savvy. He’s one of those players who could plug into just about an

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