Boston Celtics: Avery Bradley Continues To Shine Bright
Avery Bradley is not just known for his defense anymore for the Boston Celtics.
Ever since Avery Bradley came back from his calf injury on Nov. 15, he has been on an absolute tear on the offensive end for the Boston Celtics. Bradley is confidently shooting midrange and three-point jump shots by hitting 5o percent from the field and 48.9 percent from three in his past eight games.
Bradley has been coming off the bench in four out of the last eight games for Boston because he was returning from injury. Bradley then made his way into the starting lineup against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 22 due to Marcus Smart‘s injury, and he has continued to start in every game since Smart has been sidelined.
Whether Bradley is in the starting lineup or not, he has shown that he can be one of the top go-to scorers in Boston.
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For the season, Bradley is shooting the best he ever has from deep by shooting 42.5 percent, and this is something that he has needed to improve on in order for him to make the next step as above average two-way shooting guard.
In the past, Bradley has been known as more of a defensive-minded guard, which is why many people were confused why Boston selected two defensive-minded guards in the past two NBA drafts in Smart and Terry Rozier.
Now Bradley is being recognized as more of two-way player because he is starting to play with a more confident swagger on offense from beginning to the end of every game.
He is not just shooting midrange jump shots with confidence anymore; Bradley is shooting from everywhere on the court with confidence. He used to be a little hesitant, especially shooting from three, but on Nov. 22 Bradley went 7-for-14 from deep, which was rather impressive.
Bradley’s offensive skill has been on full display ever since he returned from his calf injury, but can he keep it up?
Bradley’s Outlook
Bradley is the second leading scorer on the Celtics behind Isaiah Thomas and is averaging 15.4 points per game. Although it is early, his scoring average is a career high. He primarily has not been a go-to scorer for the team in the past, but this season, he has been one of their most consistent shooters and scorers.
He creates space for his own shot throughout the game, and he has become a much better catch-and-shoot player. Bradley has been averaging 19 points per game since his injury, and since Smart is injured for at least two weeks, Bradley should be able to keep up his consistent scoring.
Even when Bradley was coming off the bench after his injury, he was still putting up great numbers. Some people might remember that Bradley was once the No. 1 overall recruit out of high school back in 2009, and even though he is certainly not a superstar, he is starting to show some really impressive qualities.
Overall
From his lockdown defense to his great midrange shooting to his recent consistent three-point shooting, Bradley is starting to become an above average shooting guard in the NBA. He won’t make the All-Star team this season, but if he keeps playing like he has been this season, he will certainly get the attention of many opponents around the league.
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Boston is thrilled to have a great two-way player like Bradley, and now it is starting to become more clear that he can do a lot more than just play defense.