Tommy Sheppard envisions Deni Avdija taking more of a bench role for the Wizards next season

Washington Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard envisions seeing sophomore forward Deni Avdija being in more of a reserve role this fall, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. While his role is expected to move from the starting lineup (32 out of 54 appearances) to the bench next season, that doesn’t mean that he will necessarily play less.

“I think Deni, it gives him a little bit more confidence, I believe, if he comes off the bench. In that second unit, he could be a secondary playmaker,” Sheppard said, when asked by Hughes.

Before coming to the NBA, Avdija was known as a playmaker for Maccabi Tel-Aviv. But since playing for Washington, he hasn’t received those kinds of opportunities because the Wizards’ ballhandling duties were primarily handled by Bradley Beal and then-starting point guard Russell Westbrook. With Spencer Dinwiddie coming to Washington this season and likely taking the starting role, there probably won’t be that many more opportunities for Avdija to play in his natural role.

Would you like to see Avdija become a playmaker next season off the bench and could he thrive in that position? Let us know in the comments below.