Why Blazers’ Deni Avdija needed humbling experience of a Spurs playoff beatdown

The Portland Trail Blazers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs in five games, and there’s a lot they can take from the experience. This was many players’ first time being on this stage, and they believe this is standard for them moving forward.

Deni Avdija was the key for the Blazers this season, and he took this postseason as a learning experience.

“That experience was needed for me, and as a team, to fight together and see how it is with playoff physicality. I had a lot of fun. We left it all on the court. You’ve got to stay resilient and do it together,” Avdija said via Bill Oram of The Oregonian.

The way the Blazers are set up, this shouldn’t be their last time in the playoffs, and they’ll make the necessary moves to improve this offseason.

“I think it was a good run by us to understand what are we missing and what do we need to do to get even better to go even further,” Avdija said.

The biggest addition that they’ll probably have for next season is Damian Lillard, who should be fully healthy after sitting out this year as he recovered from a torn Achilles tendon. Lillard is one player who has a ton of playoff experience and has hit some big shots throughout his career to send teams home.

The Blazers have a nice foundation, and their defense was key to their success this season. With players such as Jrue Holiday, Donovan Clingan and Toumani Camara, they’ll continue to be a top unit on that side of the ball.

As far as offense, there are a few players who will need to take a step in that category, but there is potential. Scoot Henderson was a bright spot for the team early in the series, and the hope is that he can reach a new level next season.

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