Avery Bradley Deserves More Credit
The Boston Celtics are currently sitting comfortable as the third seed of the Eastern Conference. During the last three years under coach Brad Stevens, the Celtics have exceeded everyone’s expectations. Their team chemistry, their high level of execution, and their balanced game, both offensively and defensively, are some of the main reasons behind that success.
Speaking about their personnel, we have mentioned Isaiah Thomas lots of times. Thomas is having a career-year and deserved his first All-Star selection 100 percent. We have also talked about Jae Crowder and his improvement over the last two years. He has established himself as a valuable part of the current team and he might also be in the conversation for Most Improved Player of the Year. Evan Turner is also mentioned for his big help off the bench, as well as Kelly Olynyk and how his absence, due to injury, could affect the Celtics’ gameplan.
One of the players that is not getting much praise, although is arguably one of the most valuable players for the Boston Celtics, is Avery Bradley. Bradley has been involved in lots of trade rumors in the past but now looks like that he has found his permanent spot in Celtics’ rotation. This season, he is averaging 15.2 points (career high), two assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.
Bradley always had the reputation of an elite perimeter defender. He is more than capable of giving the opposing guard a hard time. He is perhaps one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the league. He moves quickly all over the floor and can force turnovers, even though his size (6’ 2”) doesn’t help him that much. Apart from that, his offensive game has developed under Brad Stevens, as he is the one who gave him more responsibilities in the offensive end of the floor.
Avery is not the guy who will use iso situations to score, or make any fancy plays. He is primarily the guy who scores the majority of his points through spot up situations, coming off screens and after hand-offs. That’s why nearly 75 percent of his made shots have come off assists. He also will try to finish many plays in transition, one of the biggest strengths of this year’s Boston Celtics. Not to mention that he can make clutch plays.
His agility and his quick feet are necessary in Brad Steven’s offense, because he can constantly move to open spots and find clean looks to the basket. Bradley also has the versatility to make a great backcourt duo with either Thomas or Marcus Smart, and that’s another reason he is such a valuable piece of the roster. Having upgraded his offensive game, and along with his proven defensive ability, Bradley has become a very valuable asset in today’s game: the so called“3-and-D” player.
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The question from now on is how much more can Avery Bradley improve in the next years. He is just 25 years old and he seems to be in the right place for further development. His role in Brad Stevens system really helps him to keep improving. He is the Celtic with the most minutes per game and that alone indicates how important his abilities are for the Celtics. Avery Bradley, after earning his spot as an integral member of the Boston Celtics, seems to have the potential to become one of the best two-way players in the NBA in the years to come.