Deni Avdija wrapped up his breakout season last week, becoming the first Israeli to play in the NBA playoffs and, of course, taking part in the 2026 All-Star Game. But not everyone, it turns out, shares the praise being heaped on the Portland Trail Blazers forward.
In an anonymous poll conducted by The Athletic, Avdija was included on the list of the league’s most “overrated” players, finishing fifth with 3.4% of the vote, alongside Luka Doncic of the Lakers, Scottie Barnes of Toronto and Pascal Siakam of Indiana.
The top spot went to 23-year-old Houston Rockets center Alperen Şengün, whose team was eliminated by the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. He received 12% of the vote. Rudy Gobert of Minnesota and Trae Young of Washington tied for second, both familiar names in the survey: Young topped the list in 2023, while Gobert led it in 2024.
The survey began in late February and closed in early April, with The Athletic’s reporters asking players a wide range of questions, including about individual awards. A total of 161 players took part, the largest sample so far and about one-third of the league.
The survey was conducted anonymously “to allow players to answer honestly without fear of responses from opponents, teammates or fans.”