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Is Avery Bradley’s Time Running Out?

By Joshua Bateman

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The Boston Celtics have selected three guards in the first round these past two drafts and that has given them incredible guard depth. The only problem is that with an already loaded back court there may not be enough room to keep all of them.

The Cetics are still in the middle of a rebuild and that will allow them to evaluate all these great young prospects. Once the Celtics allow their prospects to develop they will have a much clearer idea of who they want to be a part of their core.

If Marcus Smart, R.J Hunter and Terry Rozier all develop into the players the Celtics hope they can be they will create a phenomenal core of guards along side Isaiah Thomas, but there may not be a place for Avery Bradley.

Feb 23, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) and guard Avery Bradley (0) against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Celtics defeats the Suns 115-110. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

As it stands now, Bradley is one of the most important players on the roster. The impact he has on the defensive end is much bigger than results on the court. Smart has benefitted tremendously from Bradley because of the example he sets on the defensive end.

The Celtics have similar expectations for Rozier and hopefully Bradley will be able to have a similar impact on him. The good news is that Rozier will also be influenced by Smart who has grown into a strong leader.

Rozier is the player that will make Bradley expendable. The Celtics do not get an offensively dominant player out of Bradley. He is solid with a shooting percentage of 43% and 35% from beyond the arc but he has never been the type of player to take over games.

Bradley actually managed to lead the Celtics in scoring for a portion of last season but Hunter already appears to be a better offensive option. Hunter has incredible range and a smooth shooting stroke that makes his ceiling far beyond what Bradley can be.

Hunter may never be able to replicate Bradley’s defensive play but that is where Rozier comes in. If Rozier can maintain their solid back court defense, his athleticism alone will make him a better option that Bradley.

Hunter can bring a lot more offense and Rozier can replace his defense. Once those players have developed Bradley will no longer have the same value to the team and that may cost him a roster spot.

Because of his phenomenal defense and improved offense there is no doubting that the Celtics already prefer Smart to Bradley. Bradley may be able to edge out Evan Turner but with him already on the outs the Celtics may wind up with just Rozier, Hunter, Smart and Thomas.

Feb 4, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard forward Evan Turner (11) talks with guard Avery Bradley (0) during the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Throw James Young into the mix and there is plenty of potential for guards that are superior to Bradley. Bradley will always be a solid player for the Celtics that does plenty more good than harm but he is limited in comparison to the potential of the many young Celtics guards.

Bradley has been one of the most important pieces of the franchise for many years now and he is the last man standing from the Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett era but the Celtics are building from the ground up and Bradley may also be past his time.

The Celtics will continue to lean heavily on Bradley until their guards break out and if they turn out to be busts then he may wind up with a much longer career with the Celtics.

The Celtics have a lot of promise on their team and with many more first round picks coming their way, it may not be long before they finally settle into a contending core. The only problem is some of the more cherished players on the team may have to make way for the new generation.

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