Washington Wizards Deni Avdija. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Deni Avdija finally played in an NBA game that counted, and the Washington Wizards rookie did not disappoint.
Last season, first-round draft pick Rui Hachimura worked his way into the opening night starting lineup for the Washington Wizards. The result: 14 points, 10 rebounds in a 108-100 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Fast forward a year and a half, and Rui Hachimura is sidelined for the season opener with conjunctivitis.
It wasn’t clear who the starters would be heading into the opening matchup in Philadelphia, but the starting five wasn’t a huge surprise.