Deni Avdija’s NBA leap is turning Israeli hoops into must-watch TV

If you’ve been waking up to NBA highlights with an extra jolt of pride lately, you’re not alone. Israel’s footprint on the league has grown beyond the “nice story” phase and the timing couldn’t be better. The 2025/26 season is delivering one of the most compelling Israeli basketball narratives yet, led by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija.

Avdija has always brought the tools - size, motor, defensive versatility, and a feel for moving the ball - but this year has looked different. Not “solid rotation guy”-different. More like “the game is slowing down for him” is different. And for Israeli fans (and the wider Jewish sports community), that shift changes everything: the nightly NBA slate becomes a little more personal, a little more urgent, and a lot more fun to follow.

The broader context makes Avdija’s rise even more interesting, since this season has felt unusually unpredictable early on. There are legitimate surprises in the standings and the league’s in-season tournament, adding a new kind of pulse to the calendar.

As of mid-December, the Western Conference has had a clear early pace-setter (Oklahoma), while the East has featured at least one unexpected team (Orlando) hanging around the top of the table. Exactly the kind of chaos that keeps us fans on our sneakers with storylines moving fast. The NBA Cup has also done what it was designed to do: create “playoff-ish” tension in December, turning a few regular-season nights into appointment viewing. Knicks v Spurs in the finals is tasty, to say the least.

And hovering over all of it is the familiar winter sport within the sport: the MVP conversation. It’s already loud, already shifting week to week, and already giving fans another lens through which to read performances. In a season where attention is fragmented across a thousand highlights, the players who can string together impactful performances, game after game, start to feel bigger than a box score. As always.

The simplest way to describe Avdija’s jump is opportunity meeting readiness. Portland’s roster has asked him to do more with creations and attack mismatches. And he’s responded with the kind of consistency that sparks serious conversations, like first-time All-Star buzz, Most Improved chatter, and the broader “Is this sustainable?”-debate that usually follows real breakouts.

But the details matter. Avdija isn’t just scoring more. He’s doing it in a way that travels.

1) More on-ball responsibility, fewer “stand in the corner” possessions.

Watch a handful of Portland games and you’ll spot it immediately: Avdija isn’t merely finishing plays - he’s starting them. He’s bringing the ball up, triggering actions and punishing teams that switch smaller defenders onto him.

2) A cleaner shot profile.

The leap tends to happen when a player stops taking “tough because I can” shots. Avdija’s best stretches have come when he’s relentless in the paint, decisive on catch-and-shoot looks.

3) Defense that still sets the tone.

Even when the shot isn’t falling, Avdija can keep his value high. That matters in the NBA’s long season, and it’s part of why he’s been trusted in big minutes and key stretches. He can guard multiple positions, rebound his area, and push in transition - three traits that coaches lean on when rotations tighten.

Right around here is where modern fandom kicks in, too. People aren’t only watching. We’re tracking: rotations, usage, late-game touches and the “numbers around the game” that often reflect shifting expectations. According to GamblingNerd portal, one of the easiest ways for newer fans to understand that side of NBA conversation is simply learning the basics of lines, spreads, totals, and player props. That’s a way to decode why certain performances suddenly feel “bigger” in the public conversation.

Avdija may be the headline, but he’s not the whole story anymore. This season has also brought fresh Israel-connected intrigue in Brooklyn, where a new generation is getting real opportunities.

For Nets followers, rookie guard Ben Saraf has already produced a clear early-season sample to track. Saraf - Brooklyn’s 2025 first-round pick (No. 26) - has appeared in 12 NBA games so far, with his role moving between short stints and extended runs depending on the opponent.

Through those apps, Saraf is averaging 5.4 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.6 rebounds while shooting 35.5% from the field (15 December). His best scoring night to date came on Dec. 4 v Utah, when he posted a season-high 12 points in 24 minutes. He’s also flashed playmaking, including a 7-assist outing at Milwaukee in November.

Brooklyn has also used the G League as part of his early development. Saraf has been assigned to the Long Island Nets during the season and then brought back up to the parent club, giving the Nets flexibility to balance practice time, minutes, and game reps.

The NBA season is a marathon - a tired cliché, maybe, but a true one. Every breakout gets tested. Teams adjust. Scouting reports sharpen. Defenses will crowd the paint, daring Avdija and the Blazers to beat the counters night after night.

That’s the real checkpoint for a star leaping: not a couple of brilliant weeks, but sustained production once the league commits to slowing you down. If he keeps answering back, this won’t be remembered as a hot stretch. It’ll be remembered as the season Israeli basketball gained a genuine NBA headliner.

And for fans in Israel, it adds something to every late-night tipoff - not just entertainment, but representation on the biggest stage, one possession at a time.

This article was written in cooperation with Serpify Ltd.