Yahoo Criticizes The Athletic Over Deni Avdija's Ranking Omission

Deni Avdija enters the 2026/27 NBA season following the finest campaign of his career, yet in the United States, some analysts believe the Israeli star is still not receiving due recognition. In a column published on Saturday by Yahoo, journalist Brogan Noonan criticized the omission of Avdija's name from a recent Athletic review analyzing the status and prospects of various NBA stars ahead of the new season.

The Athletic Review and Missing Names

In April, The Athletic published a ranking dividing 125 players into five tiers, with 30 players placed in the top two categories. Journalist Law Murray recently published a follow-up review examining which stars might elevate their status, who is at risk of falling, and who enters the new season with question marks. Notably, the new piece was not a complete reranking of all 125 players, but rather a focus on select individuals.

The review featured players such as Julius Randle (Tier 3C), Brandon Ingram and Norman Powell (3B), and even Paul George (4C), while Avdija went entirely unmentioned. Yahoo expressed dissatisfaction with the oversight, particularly given the impressive numbers the Israeli forward posted last season.

Stellar Numbers and Exceptional Growth

"Avdija is coming off the best NBA season of his career, establishing himself as a legitimate star for Portland," Noonan wrote. "Yet you would never know it looking at The Athletic's latest tier rankings. Somehow, Avdija has been overlooked and left out of the discussion entirely... leaving him out feels like a glaring miss after the year he delivered."

The 25-year-old forward finished the 2025/26 season averaging 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. He earned his first career All-Star selection and finished among the top three finalists for the NBA Most Improved Player award.

"He evolved from a solid starter into one of the most efficient forwards in the league. His development has been one of Portland's biggest success stories over the past two years," Noonan noted regarding the trade that brought him from Washington in the summer of 2024.

Complete Skill Set and Future Outlook

Noonan praised the Israeli player's comprehensive skill set:

• Ability to score from all three levels

• Powerful drives to the rim and elite playmaking

• Exceptional size, strength, and mismatch potential

While Yahoo acknowledged areas where Avdija still needs to improve—such as perimeter shooting consistency and ball security—critics emphasized that these minor flaws should not overshadow his massive developmental leap or his immense value to the Trail Blazers moving forward.