OKC Thunder big man Chet Holmgren has been widely regarded as being on the outside looking in on earning an All-NBA nod for his efforts here in 2025-26, though his final few months of action arguably started to tilt the odds more in his favor.
Sadly, following Tuesday's opener to the 2026 Play-In Tournament, there's a chance that his hoped-for spot may have officially been reserved for Trail Blazers star Deni Avdija.
Yes, All-NBA is, in fact, an honor that should be based on regular-season production. However, considering ballots aren't sent out until this coming Friday, performances in these preliminary games could privately sway voters.
Should this prove to be the case, Avdija would be a prime candidate to benefit from said sway.
Thunder star could lose All-NBA because of Deni Avidja's play-in showing
Like the Thunder star, Avdija has predominantly been considered a bubble guy when it comes to earning an All-NBA honor.
A first-time All-Star, the forward went on to post career-best averages of 24.2 points and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and leading Portland to their first winning season since 2020-21.
Compared to Holmgren's 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks on 55.7 percent shooting from the floor and 36.2 percent shooting from deep and status of co-star to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the league's top-ranked squad, it's easy to see why both are neck and neck for one of the NBA's three illustrious teams.
Of course, recency bias is real during voting season, and Avidja's breathtaking showing on Tuesday could leave a lasting impression on voters.
In his 38 minutes of action, the 25-year-old went on to dominate the game by stuffing the stat sheet with 41 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds, and two blocks while shooting 68.2 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from deep, while coming up clutch for a pivotal driving and-one to essentially seal a 114-110 win over Phoenix and send Portland to the playoffs for the first time in five years.
In this modern era of the game, it seems that flair and flavor tend to earn players the more prestigious accolades. Objectively, with his all-around offensive production, Avdija has the more prototypically "exciting" style of play compared to a more defensively oriented talent like Chet.
This play-in performance only strengthened that sentiment and may have solidified his spot on an All-NBA team over Holmgren.
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