Boston Celtics Need Avery Bradley’s Defense

For the second outing in a row, the Boston Celtics portrayed themselves as a lottery team in the first half, one who could not find the bottom of the bucket, grab a rebound, or prevent the Atlanta Hawks from scoring in the paint.

However, once again, the Celtics displayed an entirely new sense of resolve in the second half, erasing a 17-point halftime deficit.

While Isaiah Thomas poured in 21 of his 27 points in the last 24 minutes while Marcus Smart added 11 second-half points to pioneer Boston’s tandem of 30-point quarters to close out the contest, the real catalyst of the comeback was none other than Avery Bradley, whose lockdown defense on the likes of Hawks point guards Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder put a roadblock in front of any offensive fluidity that Atlanta desired to accomplish.

When Bradley went down with a right hamstring strain with 6:41 remaining in the contest and the Celtics booming with momentum after a 12-2 run had given them an 83-80 advantage, the wind began to come out of Boston’s sails on the defensive end, with Teague’s court vision wizardry as a point guard dominated the remainder of a game from which the Hawks emerged victorious, 102-101.

It appears as if the Celtics will be forced to adjust to life without Bradley for potentially the remainder of the series, as the 25-year old had to be assisted off of the court with the help of his teammates and could not even dress himself after the game, needing help from center Jared Sullinger just to put on his pants.

Bradley expressed to head coach Brad Stevens that he heard a “pop” in the area of his hamstring as well, a harrowing sign for a team that needs the presence of Bradley on the defensive end of the floor to compete in this series.

The value of the Texas product to this team is virtually immeasurable, however, the statistics also underline the necessity for him to be on the floor. Bradley garnered the best defensive rating (97.5) on the squad this past season, while also outdoing Thomas on the offensive end with a rating of 107.

His scoring average of 15.2 points per game was second on the team behind Thomas’, an average which increases to 16 per game on the road where the Celtics fared just 20-21 during the regular season.

When the Celtics showcased themselves as a junior varsity team in the first half, compiling just a measly 34 points on 23% shooting from the field, Bradley’s poise still remained, as he led the team with 12 points to keep the deficit below 20 points and the Celtics within striking distance.

What the box score did not cover was Bradley’s tenacity in defending Teague. With Bradley checking him and harassing him regardless of what move he opted to showcase, Teague garnered just eight of his 23 points in the first 17 minutes of the second half, the time in which the Celtics surged to wrestle control over the lead.

When Teague made a spin move, Bradley followed. When Teague attempted to cross-over his dribble, Bradley remained up in his grill. It is the little things on defense which magnify the 2010 first-round pick’s value to Boston, and his loss was evident throughout the final 6:41 of the game as the Celtics could not find an answer for Teague.

As soon as Bradley exited the contest, Teague hit a pair of free throws before making a driving layup to give Atlanta an 88-86 lead. Then, with 3:31 remaining and the game tied at 88, Teague grabbed a defensive rebound, sprinted the length of the court before shoveling a pass to center Al Horford for a bucket.

This was then followed by a Teague steal and dime to a running Paul Millsap, giving the Hawks a 92-88 advantage.

After a pair of Thomas free throws, Teague then poured in another bucket to provide Atlanta with a four-point advantage with two minutes remaining.

The tandem of shooting guards Evan Turner and Marcus Smart will need to up the ante on the defensive end should the Celtics hope to replace the doubtful Bradley in Game 2 should he not be able to participate.

Next: Evan Turner: X-Factor

However, it is evident that Bradley’s value on the defensive end cannot be completely replicated.