Deni Avdija Helps Trail Blazers Start Season Strong
Listen to the story
Deni Avdija, a forward for the Portland Trail Blazers, is having another strong start to the NBA season.
A recent article from The Athletic connects his good play to a summer phone call with Trail Blazers assistant coach Micah Nori.
The headline, 'Deni Avdija is at it again,' suggests this is not new. Avdija has shown this kind of strong performance before.
The article does not give exact details about the phone call, but it says the call is linked to the team's fast start this season.
On November 4, 2026, the Trail Blazers played the Phoenix Suns in an NBA regular-season game. This game was part of their early schedule.
Avdija joined the Trail Blazers after being traded from the Washington Wizards. He has become one of the team's key contributors.
His growth as a player has been a major talking point among basketball analysts and fans this year.
The connection between Avdija and Nori shows how important coaching relationships can be in a player's development.
As the Trail Blazers continue their season, fans will be watching to see if Avdija's strong play continues.
Vocabulary7 words
- NBA
- the main professional basketball league in the United States
- assistant coach
- a coach who helps the head coach train the team
- performance
- how well someone plays or does their job
- regular-season
- the normal games played before the playoffs
- contributors
- people who help a team succeed
- analysts
- people who study and explain sports or other topics
- relationships
- the connections between people, like a player and coach
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Forward 2. A summer phone call between Avdija and coach Micah Nori 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Deni Avdija, a _____ for the Portland Trail Blazers, is having another strong start to the NBA season.
A recent article from The Athletic connects his good play to a summer _____ call with assistant coach Micah Nori.
The headline, 'Deni Avdija is at it again,' suggests this is not _____.
The article does not give exact details about the phone call, but it says the call is linked to the team's fast _____ this season.
On November 4, 2026, the Trail Blazers played the Phoenix Suns in an NBA _____ game.
Avdija joined the Trail Blazers after being _____ from the Washington Wizards.
His growth as a player has been a major talking point among basketball _____ and fans this year.
The connection between Avdija and Nori shows how important coaching _____ can be in a player's development.
Discussion questions
- Why might a conversation between a player and a coach help improve performance?
- What do you think makes a good relationship between a coach and a player?
- Have you ever had a mentor or advisor who helped you improve at something?
- Why do you think sports journalists are interested in stories like this one?
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