Avery Bradley's Health Will Determine the Boston Celtics' Playoff Run

There are a lot of question marks with the Boston Celtics: How effective will Paul Pierce and Ray Allen be with their injuries? Which Rajon Rondo will show up on each particular evening? Can Kevin Garnett keep up his stellar playoff performance?

But throughout the second half of the season, there was one player that we had become used to not having to place a question mark besides: Avery Bradley.

This whole season, we’ve known that the Big Three are fragile; they’ve been question marks since Christmas. But Bradley has been an extremely important contributor on both ends of the floor.

Avery Bradley had to leave Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers when his shoulder was dislocated…again. He returned in the fourth quarter but was in obvious pain. Can Avery Bradley come back and play, with any sort of effectiveness, in Game 3 on Wednesday night?

Bradley brings a new dimension to the veteran Celtics—a team that relies on its Basketball I.Q. and experience to defeat younger, athletic teams like the 76ers. His speed and defensive pressure make the Celtics competitive physically.

Since Boston has moved Bradley to the starting lineup, he’s played with a confidence that we haven’t seen in the playoffs—until Monday night. Bradley had a different swagger to him, aided by hitting the first three point shot he took that evening—his first of the series.

In Game 1, Bradley was 0-for-4 in three point attempts; Monday night he went 2-for-3. If Bradley can begin to regain his shooting form, he’s going to be a key contributor down the stretch.

When Bradley can hit his outside shot, this team is dangerous. He spreads the floor, and defenders have to play him tighter, which opens up his most effective contribution to the offense: the back door cuts.

Bradley cuts up defenses by slipping underneath the basket and putting in easy layups. Along with Brandon Bass’ shots from the elbow and Allen’s three point shots as he peels off of screens, Bradley’s back door cuts have become a staple of the Celtics’ offense.

Additionally, Bradley’s defensive prowess—his calling card at this point in his NBA career—is more important than ever. With Pierce and Allen slowed by injuries and the 76ers with a young, athletic team, Bradley’s ability to shut down opponents is critical to the Celtics’ success.

His injury will slow him down some on defense, but he will still be able to be a pest, aggravating Jrue Holiday as he brings the ball up the court. But the Celtics need Bradley to be a factor on the offensive end in order to go deeper into the playoffs.

In the first round, Bradley had the deer in the headlights look, never seeming comfortable on the floor. It seemed like he’d continue to start—to keep the rotations in order—but that in crunch time, Ray Allen and Brandon Bass would be on the floor.

In the last two games of the Atlanta Hawks series, Bradley only played 18 and 22 minutes. The Celtics need more. Bradley was a key member of the second half of the season; he was a spark for the starting lineup.

Bradley also gives someone for Rondo to run the floor with—especially with the injuries to Pierce and Allen. When Rondo gets an outlet pass, the only players that can keep up with him down the court are Ryan Hollins and Avery Bradley…and I don’t think we want Hollins playing in crunch time.

Bradley and Rondo make up the entire Celtics transition offense. But having Bradley on the floor seems to give Rondo a little bit more authority and helps the overall team chemistry, too.

Rondo is the most skilled player on the Celtics roster; they all admit it. But from the perspective of Pierce, Allen and Garnett, Rondo is still the young point guard. They’ve got far more experience than him—but Bradley doesn’t.

Bradley is probably the first player that Rondo has played with that looks up to him. Rondo is constantly in the shadow of the Big Three, and he must relish the opportunity to have a player that he has more experience than—one that he can boss around.

(This may be grasping, but anything that can potentially get Rondo more mentally engaged has to be explored.)

Potential psychological advantages aside, when healthy and confident, Bradley can spread the floor, run the transition offense, catch defenders off guard with his back door cuts and shut down elite scorers on the defensive end.

In such a tight series, the Celtics need Bradley to contribute. And he will certainly play on Wednesday night. But will he be able to help this team—especially on the offensive side of the floor?

The Celtics should beat the 76ers. But without a healthy Avery Bradley—because we know Pierce and Allen won’t be healthy again until next season—it will be a short Easter Conference Finals.