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Why ridding themselves of Avery Bradley will come back to haunt the Boston Celtics

By Jake Finnen

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 22: Avery Bradley #0 of the Boston Celtics reacts during overtime against the Detroit Pistons at TD Garden on March 22, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Pistons defeat the Celtics 105-97. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 22: Avery Bradley #0 of the Boston Celtics reacts during overtime against the Detroit Pistons at TD Garden on March 22, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Pistons defeat the Celtics 105-97. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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The Avery Bradley trade made sense from a financial standpoint. It cleared up enough space to sign Gordon Hayward, but also sacrificed one of the best two-way players in the league.

There are two sides to just about everything and here comes the opposite side. The basketball universe was (still is) exploding with Gordon Hayward-mania after the Boston Celtics agreed to signed him for four years, for a smooth $128 million.

This article by HoopsHabit‘s own editor-in-chief Gerald Bourguet outlines the trade in its entirety, and after realizing what was just given up for him, Celtics fans should feel a little nervous.

Marcus Morris fills the missing role the Celtics needed, but Avery Bradley complemented Isaiah Thomas‘ defensive weakness as one of the better on-ball defenders in the league. Not only was his defense exceptional, he was a high-impact, highlight player.

His style of play was intriguing. Despite his size, he played with authority and saying he was the backbone of the Celtics slides off the tongue. Jae Crowder may have been the defensive foundation, but Bradley brought toughness and intensity to both sides of the ball unlike anyone else on the team.

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The Pistons landed a dynamic player that will undoubtedly be one of their best this upcoming season. They also dished out Marcus Morris, an athletic defender that is an ideal fit for Boston. Morris fits the gap in the Celtics defense, giving Boston a more defensively sound frontcourt.

He will assume the defensive workload while Al Horford can focus his energy on generating offense and producing alongside Gordon Hayward and Isaiah Thomas.

Obtaining Marcus Morris and Gordon Hayward were crucial for team-building, but giving up Bradley have cost them their most versatile, and best defensive asset, and seeing as how Hayward cannot guard Kyrie Irving, that could be an issue come playoff time.

Filling one hole opens another

Marcus Morris was a terrific fit for the Celtics, if they didn’t have to give up Bradley in the process. It’s easy to say Hayward makes up for Bradley’s offense, but as far as backcourt defense, the Celtics are going to need serious help.

Marcus Smart is a potential fix, but his offense needs much more tuning compared to Bradley, who was a seasoned scorer. Not to mention Bradley’s athleticism made up for his lack of size, being one of the league’s top rebounding guards.

The Celtics were ninth when it comes to opponent field goal percentage, while falling around the bottom of the league when it comes to other defensive stats like rebounds, blocks, and steals. Morris is going to help the all-around defensive structure of the Celtics, but expect opposing guards to be more effective against the Celtics backcourt.

For a team that was seen as undersized, on the court they embraced their roles as enforcers. This team played with a chip on their shoulder and it showed. Heck, even Al Horford started getting in the faces of other players after one season in Boston. He embraced the culture much like the rest of the team.

The Celtics’ defense was not defined by size, but more by ability to stay in front of opponents, keeping a hand in their faces on every attempt. They were undersized, but were always one of the tougher teams to score against. They played hard-nosed defense and that meant fouling hard if need be. Boston did not necessarily play dirty, but it sure played with an edge that was set by players like Bradley, Crowder and former Celtic Kelly Olynyk.

What’s next

Assuming Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier or Jaylen Brown fills in for Bradley, all are still lacking the all-around attributes Bradley brought to the starting lineup. The Celtics absolutely have options, but none are as refined as Bradley.

They are going to struggle when it comes to stopping opposing guards on the perimeter, though Morris will certainly help the porousness Boston’s defense has showed in the past. Now that Crowder will be able to extend out against more players, the potential Hayward-Crowder defensive tandem is something to be feared.

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The chances both play together are slim, but the athleticism shared between these two allows them to guard just about any player. Crowder showed stability against bigger players, while Hayward has the speed to hang with some of the smaller guards.

They will still need help when it comes to guarding opposing point guards like Dennis Schröder, John Wall and Kemba Walker, but at the same time the Celtics may not be done making moves. The current composition of the roster is a little funky and they have a massive gap when it comes to the backcourt.

Marcus Smart can guard opposing point guards, but he will be a liability offensively. Although he proved he can score in bunches these past playoffs, he will need to improve his efficiency. If the Celtics are done making moves, which they likely aren’t, this current team is going to face a wake-up call by losing Bradley.

Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far

Bradley did not have nearly as great of an impact this season due to injuries, but in the 55 games he played, the Celtics went 37-21. There was a span where Bradley was hurt and the team went on a season-high seven game winning streak, so I am going with that streak as the basis of this entire trade. Not really, but hopefully Danny Ainge has a few finishing touches in store.

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