Some players improve an offense by getting their own shot. Neo Avdalas has an opportunity to improve UNC by helping everyone else find theirs.
The Virginia Tech transfer arrives with the size to see over smaller defenders and experience directing an ACC offense. For a Carolina team assembling a new identity under Michael Malone, that combination is especially intriguing.
Avdalas could become the player who connects the Tar Heels' individual talents together.
What you need to know about Neo Avdalas
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard
Height: 6-foot-9
Weight: 220 pounds
Hometown: Kalamata, Greece
Previous school: Virginia Tech
Avdalas started all 31 games he played as a freshman, averaging 12.1 points and 4.6 assists. He earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors twice and finished ninth in the conference in assists per game.
What Neo Avdalas brings to UNC
His greatest value could be the number of ways he helps a possession develop.
Avdalas can create without forcing UNC to rely solely on a smaller point guard. His size creates passing angles, while his scoring background gives defenders a reason to respect him more than the pass.
Against USC, he contributed 15 points, 9 rebounds, and five assists in 24 minutes, a small sample of the different areas of the game that he can influence.
The biggest question surrounding Neo Avdalas
Can he consistently turn his versatility into efficient offense?
Having several options helps only if you find the right one. Avdalas will need to recognize when to attack, when to move the ball, and when a simpler play offers more than a difficult one.
His decisions could help establish how organized this team looks when its first action is taken away.
What does a successful season look like for Neo Avdalas?
Success would mean becoming a dependable offensive organizer who also contributes as a scorer and rebounder.
The best version of his season would make his teammates more effective: shooters getting cleaner looks, big men getting the ball in better positions, and possessions continuing rather than stalling out.
The bottom line
Avdalas doesn’t need to dominate every statistical category to become central to UNC’s success.
If he makes the players around him better, his fingerprints will be on far more possessions than the ones he finishes.
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