The biggest concern is blowout loss

The Portland Trail Blazers were without three key players at the start of the 2024/25 season: Shaedon Sharpe, Matisse Thybulle and Robert Williams III. Although they would have helped, they still would not have affected the outcome as the Golden State Warriors obliterated the Blazers with a final score of 139-104.

Head coach Chauncey Billups chose Toumani Camara in the starting lineup over Scoot Henderson; This gave them another long, versatile wing that took advantage of the Blazers' advantage over the Warriors in this particular matchup, which suited their size. Camara started the game with Stephen Curry and kept him relatively in check with final stats of 17 points, ten assists and nine rebounds (though he also had a few uncharacteristic open misses).

Deni Avdija's offensive versatility was a big reason the Blazers were able to put Camara in the starting lineup over Curry. He served as a secondary ballhandler and playmaker, complementing Anfernee Simons in the backcourt. Avdija finished the game with respectable stats of 15 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

However, the main criticism of Avdija's debut was his four ball losses. He tried to force the issue too much on offense by threading the needle on unnecessarily risky passes. Part of that has to do with the Blazers' new team identity, which Billups is trying to implement as a team that wants to go out and run.

It was a much faster game than the final result reflected, at least on the Blazers' side. This style should play to Avdija's strengths in the future. He averages 1,142 points per game in transition, which is second only to Grant's 1,151 on the Blazers' roster.

However, it is obvious that Avdija still needs more time to get used to his new teammates and predict where they will be, which is reflected in his turnovers. If the Blazers stick with Camara in the starting lineup going forward, Avdija's decision-making needs to improve. At times he managed to read the ball correctly and quickly to keep the ball moving. But he needs to play more in the flow of the game, which could also be a result of him trying to prove too much in his first game in Portland.

It could also mean that as the fourth or fifth member of a playoff team, Avdija is more of an elite role player or “glue guy” rather than the preferred player the Blazers want him to be.

Aside from the massive discrepancy in three-point shooting, this was a major issue on the Blazers' roster that made a crucial difference in their 35-point loss. As deep as Portland's roster is, they have a starting lineup comprised of elite role players like Avdija and Jerami Grant who are considered their preferred options.

One question surrounding Avdija's play that had Blazers fans curious was whether his improved three-point shooting would last. He's a 32.7 percent three-point shooter in his career, but made a significant jump last season with the Wizards, hitting 37.4 percent of his 3.1 attempts.

Avdija was unconvincing as a three-point shooter in this contest, missing all three of his attempts. This made it particularly difficult for the Blazers to defeat a three-point shooting team as lethal as the Warriors, since Avdija was essentially their starting shooting guard on offense. They dropped three-point shooting from 41.7 percent (20 of 48) to 23.5 percent (eight of 34).

There were many aspects of Avdija's game that looked as advertised and why the Blazers gave up significant resources this offseason to acquire him from the Wizards. His versatility was on full display. Defensively, he effectively switched to the Warriors' faster guards and provided defense with two steals and two blocks.

On offense, he was great at finishing the ball through contact, especially on fast-paced offenses. He also looked comfortable in post-game situations, which should be an integral part of his offensive repertoire this season.

His turnovers and lack of threes keep this from being a higher note, but it was a decent performance from the Blazers' newest wing. We would have liked to see more from Avdija in his highly anticipated Blazers debut, but he wasn't the reason for the crushing loss.

Grade: C+