Israeli rookie Deni Avdija of the Washington Wizards finally opened up about being snubbed by the New York Knicks on draft night. The 20-year-old swingman was highly-touted coming into the 2020 NBA Draft and fell all the way to the ninth spot where he was picked up by the Wizards. The Knicks, who were picking eighth, went with athletic forward Obi Toppin from Dayton.
Almost halfway through the season, Avdija admits that he didn't mind what spot he landed in, whether it was New York or Washington. All he wanted was to get picked.
“I just wanted to be drafted,’’ Avdija said on a Zoom call Thursday (via The NY Post). “I wasn’t thinking about the city, how many people in the city and how many Jews are in New York City. I was just hoping to go to a team that believes in me and wants me there. That’s what happened. I’m with the Wizards and am as happy as can be.’’
Despite slipping past the Knicks, Avdija's arrival in Washington worked well for him. The Israeli joins a young roster led by vets like Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook. With a rather depleted frontcourt, he's played a decent amount of minutes for the young Wizards squad and is getting solid minutes under head coach Scott Brooks. Though his production has still been modest and he still looks quite raw, the potential and the confidence are growing by the minute.
On the other side of the fence, Toppin's start to his Knicks career hasn't seen as much opportunity. He's only been averaging 4.6 points per game in 11.7 minutes off the bench. Unlike in DC, the Knicks' frontcourt is a bit loaded with Julius Randle spearheading things which means Toppin should be patient and wait for his opportunities.
Avdija and Toppin are set to face each other for the first time on Friday when the Knicks pay a visit to the Wizards.
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