Avdija and Gill built mutual respect as opponents in EuroLeague originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Wizards fans may be just getting to know Deni Avdija and Anthony Gill, but they already know each other quite well, at least on the court.
Avdija and Gill are both coming to the NBA from the EuroLeague where they were on opposing teams each of the past two seasons. Avdija played for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, while Gill was on BC Khimki in Russia.
On Wednesday, both players met with Wizards reporters for the first time since individual workouts began and each gave a scouting report on the other.
First, here's Gill on Avdija: "He had a different role there. He wasn’t really the main guy when he was there. Super talented guy. I can’t wait to play with him and get on the court with him. They had another guy who kind of ran the show for them. But he’s an amazing player. For me, I think I matched up with him a couple of times. He’s never seen a shot that he doesn’t like. For me, it was always 'be prepared every time on the court.' He can take those shots and make those shots, so you have to be ready for them."
And, now Avdija on Gill: "He was one of my favorite players in the EuroLeague when I would play there. I think he’s a great player, very smart. He did a lot of great things for Khimki and I’m excited that we get to play together right now and just combine [forces]."
Clearly, there is mutual respect. According to Basketball-Reference, their teams only played each other once. That was the first game of the 2019-20 season, a victory for BC Khimki. GIll had 18 points and six rebounds, while Avdija was held scoreless in 11 minutes.
Now they are teammates, but they also may end up competing with each other for minutes. They are both about the same size - Gill at 6-foot-8 and Avdija at 6-foot-9 - and they each play on the wing.
Gill will be looked to more for his shooting, while Avdija is a slasher who is known more for his passing and ball-handling. They bring different things to the table.
Whether that means they can play together in certain lineups, we will see. But if they go up against each other in practices, it may feel a bit familiar.
