Pini Gershon criticizes the Wizards about Deni Avdija's usage / News - Basketnews.com

Pini Gershon states that the Wizards are not giving Deni Avdija the ball enough and the only reason he's there is the performance the forward gives while playing for the national team.

Credit: Fotodiena.lt/M.Baranauskas; AP - Scanpix Credit Fotodiena.lt/M.Baranauskas; AP - Scanpix

Although EuroBasket 2022 was not favorable for the Israeli national team, it was a success for its leader Deni Avdija.

Deni Avdija

Position:SG, SFAge:21Height:200 cmBirth place:IsraelProfileNewsStatistics

Legendary coach Pini Gershon is now the head of the country's basketball national teams. A month after a disappointing tournament, the specialist talked in depth about the experience in the latest episode of his personal podcast "Pini and Tzenzi".

Avdija was the main guy of the team in the EuroBasket this September. Talking about the player, Gershon criticized the forward's current NBA team, the Washington Wizards.

"Guy [Goodes] understood that we have a problem. To design plays for him? In Washington, he stands in the corner and waits for the ball to be handed over to him. If Deni is not on the Israeli [national] team, he does not make it to the NBA."

Avdija averaged 14.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in EuroBasket 2022. His best game came against Lauri Markkanen's Finland, where the Israeli forward recorded a solid double-double of 23 points and 15 rebounds.

The national team's head coach Guy Goodes received backlash for not making it out of the group stage. Nevertheless, Gershon defended the specialist. Asked about the possibility of bringing in a naturalized player to the roster, he wasn't against the idea.

"To bring a naturalized player, he has to be good and have some connection to the country," Gershon stated.

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