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Deni Avdija credits coaches, teammates for increased confidence

Avdija credits coaches, teammates for increased confidence originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

It’s hard to overstate how immense an impact confidence can have on the success of a young, budding NBA player. For Deni Avdija, whose confidence seems to grow with every dribble in what is now his third season in Washington, his confidence did not manifest out of thin air.

It was his teammates and coaches who kept encouraging Avdija even through harder stretches, he says, which has led to his increased production.

“They just believe in me, you know?” Avdija said after the Wizards’ 118-104 loss to Denver on Wednesday night. “Sometimes you feel like, in bad stretches, nothing goes for you. Everybody’s kind of against you. And then like, your core, where you play – your coaches and teammates – they’re supporting you all the time.”

Avdija’s best stretch of the season so far came at the turn of January-February, shortly after the Wizards traded Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers. With a fellow forward taken off the depth chart, Avdija turned in double-digit scoring outputs in eight of nine games immediately following the deal.

His efficiency dipped shortly thereafter, though, as he scored in double figures just four times over the next month. Washington’s regular season is now drawing to a close, and with it, Avdija seems to have once again gained his footing, thanks in part to his supporting cast.

“That’s something that’s very important, especially for a young player like me that’s growing and wants to get better,” Avdija said of constant teammate and coach encouragement. “The environment is very important.”

Avdija has scored 15 and 16 points in the Wizards’ last two games, respectively, off a collective 80% clip from the field and 67% from deep with 18 total assists. It’s the first time he’s turned in production like that over two consecutive games since before the All-Star break.

However, Avdija’s personal success has not translated to the team as a whole, as Washington has now lost nine of their last 11 games. There are just nine games left this season, and with the Wizards 2.5 games behind Chicago and the last play-in spot, they’ll need to be nearly perfect to extend their campaign.

Avdija’s increased confidence is a good omen regardless of whether or not Washington makes the postseason. He’s part of Wes Unseld Jr.’s young core which could be a huge piece of the team’s rotation after this year. Their unconditional support of him surely helps in that field.

“I feel like my teammates do a great job of supporting me and I can’t thank them enough for that. They want me to be aggressive and they want me to be good, and they know how important I am for this team. I just love to see their support.”