Slovenia won 106-96 over Israel.

In this game, Doncic played about 33 minutes, hitting 11 of 21 shots, scoring 37 points with 11 rebounds and 9 assists, just shy of a triple-double, but had 7 turnovers; Avdija played roughly 36 minutes, shooting 12 of 22, putting up 34 points, 9 boards, and 2 assists, yet his plus-minus was the lowest on the court at -12.

Doncic was unstoppable, but let’s focus on Avdija: born January 3, 2001, he was the 9th overall pick in the 2020 draft, a 2.06-meter forward. Last season with the Trail Blazers, he appeared in 72 games, starting 54, averaging 30 minutes per game, contributing a well-rounded stat line of 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1 steal, with shooting percentages of 47.6%, 36.5%, and 78%.

For Yang Hansen on the Trail Blazers, the most crucial teammate to latch onto isn’t Lillard, Holiday, or even Sharpe, Grant, and Henderson—it’s Avdija. This guy is expected to become the new number one core for the Blazers next season. If Yang can develop great chemistry with him, it will surely increase his playing time opportunities.

Trail Blazers media believe Avdija could break into the league’s top 25 stars by the end of the 2025-26 season. Although he might still miss an All-Star selection, he already possesses All-Star level talent.

Indeed, we can fully anticipate what the 24-year-old Avdija, seasoned by the EuroBasket, will bring back to the NBA next season. His energy could help the rebuilding Trail Blazers carve out a path through the competitive Western Conference, at least making a serious push for a play-in spot.

The EuroBasket group stage has concluded, and now the brutal knockout rounds begin. The matchups are as follows:

Turkey vs Sweden; Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Poland; Latvia vs Lithuania; Greece vs Israel;

Portugal vs Germany; Italy vs Slovenia; Serbia vs Finland; Georgia vs France.

If Avdija can lead Israel to upset Greece, featuring NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, it would undoubtedly elevate his status and reputation, increasing his chances of making the All-Star team next season. We’ll be watching closely.

By the way,the reigning champion Spain from the 2022 EuroBasket failed to advance to the knockout stage, becoming the first defending champion since Germany in 1995 to be eliminated in the group phase.