Could Avery Bradley increase his performance to All-Star caliber levels?
Perusing through the landscape of contracts for starting NBA shooting guards, you would be hard-pressed to find a more team-friendly contract than Avery Bradley‘s. Two summers ago, Danny Ainge received criticism for dedicating $32 million over the following four seasons for Bradley, who at that stage was considered an injury liability.
Now, it is Bradley who is doing the complaining, due to earn just $8.2 million in 2016-17 despite garnering a nod to the All-NBA Defensive First Team last season.
Just compare Bradley’s deal to those of other comparable shooting guards around the league, and it simply underscores the genius of Ainge. When free agency opened up on July 1, Bradley witnessed his backup for the past two seasons, Evan Turner, receive a four-year deal worth an astounding $70 million with the Portland Trail Blazers. Just a few weeks later, shooting guard Allen Crabbe, the owner of a career scoring average of seven points per game, garner a four-year contract valued at $75 million with the same team.
There is no wonder that a player of Bradley’s caliber is unsatisfied with his contract, as it limits him from capitalizing on his skyrocketing value on the defensive side of the ball at the prime of his career. Entering his seventh season in the NBA, Bradley’s offensive production has never been higher as well, as he burst on to the scene in a big way on that side of the ball in 2015-16.
Bradley recorded a career-high in points per game with an average of 15.2 per contest, a career-best 2.1 assists per game, and shot 44.7 percent from the field on 13.6 shots per game – his highest mark since a 49.8 percent mark in his second season, in which he only attempted 6.3 shots per game.
With his tremendous average of 1.5 steals per game in 2015-16 and his ability to hawk the premier guards in the league with his breakneck pace on the defensive end, there is little doubt in the minds of many across the NBA that Bradley has taken Tony Allen‘s place as the undeniable defensive king at shooting guard. However, is his offensive game ready to take the next step to elevate himself to the discussion of having All-Star potential?
The answer to that question depends on Bradley’s ability to knock down the three-point shot with consistency in 2016-17. The advantage that the 19th pick in the 2010 draft has over Allen is his shooting form, which is arguably one of the more steady and dependable of those on the Celtics roster. If Bradley wishes to arise to All-Star status, 36 percent from beyond the arc, as he posted in 2015-16, will not make the mark.
With the amount of playing time that he receives on a nightly basis – 33.4 minutes per game – Bradley must increase his conversion rate from deep from the 1.9 makes per 5.4 attempts he posted per outing last season. If he is able to do so, he could become the biggest bargain on the 2017 Eastern Conference All-Star team.