Danny Avdia in a shooting competition at Washington practice (from Twitter)
Roy Hachimura moved from Washington to the Lakers, in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks that probably won't be negligible.
It's not a dramatic move, but it's one that could affect two teams that are outside the top ten in their conference but are aiming for much more.
It is also interesting in a broad context, in its meaning regarding the plans of both teams for the rest of the season, and affects the Israeli representative in the NBA.
Let's start from the provincial angle.
For Avdia's information: The Wizards agreed on the transfer of Hachimura to the Lakers in the
US. They stated: Washington lost the trade, and how will it affect Avdia?
Washington "cleared minutes" for Abdia, who may also receive a new role
On the surface, Hachimura is more impressive, if only NBA players were judged solely as scorers.
Next to Avdia (Photo: GettyImages, G Fiume)
It is good for the Jews
Danny Avdia's career is intertwined with Hachimura's.
The Japanese forward was selected a year before the Israeli, in exactly the same place (ninth) and plays in a similar position.
Many of their minutes were shared.
The comparisons were inevitable.
At a very superficial glance, Hachimura looks more impressive.
He scores more points in good percentages, he is a scorer who can arrange shooting situations for himself from any range and he is built to play, with great physical data.
On a given day he can score 30 points, which is also what he did in his last game in Washington.
Nevertheless, it can be confidently stated that Avdia Washington would not have transferred at such a cheap price.
Because basketball is so much more than scoring points.
Avdia is the more complete player of the two: he guards much (much) better, rebounds better, passes better and above all makes much better decisions.
Hachimura is the type of player that when he gets the ball and his teammates are already on the defensive, he will almost always throw to the basket, even when there are better options.
Whoever thinks that the Americans are only interested in the points column, this trade should make it clear to him that he is wrong.
The general managers in the NBA appreciate less and less players of Hachimura's type, one-dimensional scorers find it difficult to find their place if they are not superstars and many of them are also kicked out of the league in the end.
This trade is an opportunity to briefly address Abdia as well.
Danny's third season in the NBA is so far a much better season than the numbers suggest.
He has improved a lot in all the little things that don't go into the simple statistics.
He is not only a good bodyguard but a dominant defensive player, one who likes to guard the opposition's stars and tries to be involved in the main move.
In attack, he is much less dominant, but when he has the ball, he acts quickly and sharply, without hesitation, which allows him to continue the offensive flow and sometimes also create the advantage that a few seconds later will turn into someone else's good shot.
He is less afraid to reach the paint and sees the game well in every situation.
His two main weaknesses are his outside shooting that he can't seem to improve (he's made 3 of his last 24 threes) and inconsistency that comes from extreme swings in confidence.
Until he solves these two problems he will not be able to realize the potential he definitely has to be a complementary player at a very high level.
At 22, that potential is enough to make him a player Washington continues to build around.
One of the implications of the trade is that the Wizards turn a little more of the stage to Danny as their forward of the future.
The forward rotation has shortened, certainly with Kristaps Porzingis injured (recently he has functioned quite a bit as a power forward in a two-man lineup), which means Avdia will get more consistent minutes even on his less good days.
It does not guarantee these minutes, and certainly does not guarantee a higher output in them, but every small improvement in the situation can mean something, especially to a player whose confidence is greatly influenced by external sources.
And the situation improved following a move that makes it clear that his team is building on him and not on the player who is fighting with him for a similar position.
at a special sale price
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Avdia feeds on trust and confidence, this step was said to give him both (Photo: Reuters)
The Lakers side
We will return to the trade itself.
At first glance, it looks like a good trade for both sides, even if not a world-changing one.
Both teams give up a player they need less for a player they need more.
Kendrick Nunn came to the Lakers on the standard of a talented scoring guard, but did not find his place on a roster that includes Russell Westbrook and Dennis Schroeder alongside LeBron James.
In the forward positions, on the other hand, Darwin Hamm's support team does not have a player like Hachimura, one who knows how to score from any range.
If Hachimura fits in well with the Lakers, his main role will be to add offensive flair in LeBron's rest minutes.
But his importance will be greater if he proves capable of playing alongside LeBron and Anthony Davis.
The formation that includes all three is a very high formation that is not easy to guard, most teams will have a hard time finding a keeper worthy of Hachimura in such formations, all kinds of mismatches will be created that he can take advantage of.
But it is far from obvious that he will be able to integrate into a group that thinks very big.
As mentioned, this is a one-dimensional player who takes too many hard shots, is a very bad guard and his outside shooting percentages are mediocre.
The hope of the Lakers is that the change of situation will do him good.
Maybe he's the type of player who needs a few shouts or angry looks from a figure like LeBron James to straighten up.
And if he aligns, it will be possible to talk about a player who scored 42 percent of free threes this year and 45.6 percent last year, who scores high percentages under the basket and from half distance and who has physical data that allows him to guard any player in the league.
It's unlikely that Hachimura will suddenly turn into a fairly effective basketball player who mostly throws good shots and works on defense, but it's not a completely far-fetched option either.
In any case, the price the Lakers paid is not high.
Three second round picks is not a lot but not a lot either.
On a macro level, the question is whether this move is indicative of Rob Plinka giving up a bigger move in which he will also use future first-round picks to bring in a significant player.
LeBron has often expressed his dissatisfaction that such a move does not happen, but it is quite possible that Flinka has come to the conclusion that he is not ready to sacrifice the future for the slim chance that the Lakers will join a team capable of going all the way this year.
It could be that after all the talk about LeBron being the real general manager, the management decided to go against his best interest, to keep the future assets and look for a more significant reinforcement in the summer, when space becomes available under the salary cap.
Flinka may continue to look for a bigger move, but he gave up second-round picks in this trade that could have enriched the package he could offer for a senior player.
My feeling is that the Lakers will settle for small moves and hope that the supporting cast that does not have enough outside shooting, defense and decision-making level will be able to connect and bring their talent to the fore.
The Lakers management decided to go against his interest?
LeBron (Photo: GettyImages)
Washington's side
Washington receives in this trade mainly the future picks, but also a player that may benefit them.
Before he came to the Lakers, Nan looked like a great potential in Miami, one that even if he is not suitable to be a senior player, he could be a quality sixth player.
The Wizards need a sixth man of sorts, because the guy who was supposed to fill the role, Will Barton, looks like his time as a relevant NBA player is over.
In recent weeks, he has been completely erased from Wes Anseld's rotation.
Without Barton, there is no player on Washington's bench who can lead the ball and create shooting situations for himself and others consistently, so Nan should definitely get a chance and can become a player who upgrades the Wizards' bench.
But even in the case of Washington, the macro level is more interesting.
For a young and talented player like Hachimura it was possible to get a relatively old and significant player, certainly much more than Nan.
By choosing to accept the Lakers' package, which mainly thickens the pool of future second-round picks, Tommy Shepherd may be sending a message that he is less busy with the struggles of entering the playoffs this year.
In this move Shepard places Washington in the seller's sector, not in the buyer's sector.
Even assuming that he does not plan to sell the senior players, certainly not Bradley Beal (who in any case has the right to veto trades), the trade for Hachimura makes it clear that the Wizards do not intend to attack the transfer market with all their might in order to strengthen themselves in the short term.
Washington is just two games out of 9-10 in the East heading into the play-in tournament, and ninth-seeded Indiana has been in a slump since Tyrese Halliburton's injury so the battle could be very open.
But its current record is also the sixth worst in the league.
If the season ended today, it would have a 37.2 percent chance to go in the top four of the draft, including an 18.2 percent chance to get a top 2 pick in the draft with two very promising prospects, ones that have a chance to change the fate of a club.
The Wizards definitely need a change of fortune, something to get them out of the mediocrity they are stuck in.
A high draft pick that comes without giving up the top players on the roster could be the last chance before dismantling and reassembling.
The recent injury of Porzingis can help the club's people direct the rest of the season to mini-tanking.
While Beal has been dealing with injuries and far from his peak ability for several years now, the Latvian center has been the Wizards' best player so far this season.
He is more aggressive than ever in taking a position in the post against players shorter than him (a list that includes almost all the players in the league) and scores over players in a variety of ways, his outside shooting is good enough to complicate the opposing defenses.
Without him, Washington's offensive game will lose much of its sting.
The expectation is that he will only be out for about two weeks, but a player of his size usually takes longer than usual to recover.
It is also a reminder that this is a player who often gets injured, especially in the second half of the season, and his fitness so far this year has been exceptional.
By the time he returns, it's quite possible that Washington will have retired from playoff contention and will be more concerned with preserving sixth place than the end.
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Danny Avdia
Washington Wizards
Los Angeles Lakers
