Portland Trail Blazers Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Jrue Holiday all appear between 100 and 50 in ESPN’s ranking of the top 100 players in the NBA, with brief explanations written by longtime ESPN writers
Kevin Pelton and Baxter Holmes.
The newly-acquired Holiday snuck in at 91 just ahead of Mitchell Robinson and just behind Andrew Wiggins:
91) Jrue Holiday
2024 NBA Rank: 36
Entering his 17th season, Holiday is back in Portland — where he was traded in 2023 before being quickly moved to Boston — and will serve as a veteran leader for a team with a young core. The two-time NBA champion will also help the Trail Blazers’ improving defense, which jumped from 23rd in 2023-2024 to 16th last season. But at age 35, it would be unfair to expect Holiday, who is clearly in the winter of a likely Hall of Fame career, to be the force that he once was. Still, for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in four years, Holiday should be a welcomed boost. — Holmes
Signature stat: Holiday is one of three players to win multiple championships since 2020 (with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso).
Camara appears at 78, just ahead of DeMar DeRozan and just behind Brandon Ingram:
78) Toumani Camara
2024 NBA Rank: Unranked
During his second season, Camara went from second-round steal to legit building block for the Blazers. Not only did Camara earn All-Defensive second team honors because of his capability to guard all five positions, but he also made strides on offense. Camara shot 37.5% on 3s and averaged 11.3 PPG, forcing opponents to respect him. After the All-Star break, Camara shot an effective 59%, accounting for the added value of 3s. Camara’s single best skill might be drawing charges — a league-high 31 of them, per NBA Advanced Stats. — Pelton
Signature stat: Camara defended the second most All-Stars for 1,080 halfcourt matchups last season. He also drew 91 offensive fouls, the most since 2013-14.
Avdija appears at 66, just ahead of Tyler Herro and just behind LeMelo Ball:
66) Deni Avdija
2024 NBA Rank: Unranked
After a draft-night trade to Portland, Avdija continued his unlikely ascent into a go-to option on offense. Avdija’s full-season stats mask some of his development after a slow adjustment to a new system. Starting with his first 20-point game as a Blazer, Avdija averaged 19.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists from Nov. 29 onward. Included were a pair of triple-doubles, matching the most any Portland player has had in a season since Clyde Drexler. For all of the Blazers’ recent lottery picks, Avdija looks like the centerpiece of their rebuilding efforts. — Pelton
Signature stat: Avdija had career highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals last season. He also averaged 24.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists on 51-43-82 splits in the final 16 games of the season.
All three players figure as major components of Portland’s lineup this upcoming season, with Camara and Avdija having the most and fourth-most total minutes on the team last year, respectively.
Notable Trail Blazers that didn’t make the list include Jerami Grant (who will likely be left off altogether) and Shaedon Sharpe (who may make an appearance between 49 and 1).
