How Rajon Rondo Allows Avery Bradley to Thrive with the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics guards Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley are undersized, but still compliment each other very well. It’s difficult not to blend in with a healthy Rondo—who’s regained his stranglehold on the assist leaderboard—and Bradley is taking full advantage of the opportunity (especially on offense).
Last season, with Rondo on the sidelines, Bradley was out of place and awkward as Boston's lead ball-handler. He was asked to create for others when he had a hard enough time consistently carving point-scoring inlets for himself. Bradley isn’t a playmaker, and each off-the-dribble excursion into the dark depths of a defense read like an eternal pessimist’s choose-your-own-adventure story.
The ball isn’t meant to be in Bradley’s hands when the shot clock is above 18, but that’s where it was for a whole year. He was miscast, and everyone knew it. Now that Rondo is back, Bradley is thriving in a role better suited to his skill set. He’s off the ball, making baseline cuts and spot-up threes. He's also facing less restriction from a defense that's constantly worried about stopping the Celtics' best player.
Last year's struggles weren't a complete waste of time, though, as Bradley molded one of the league’s best pull-up jumpers into his repertoire. But it's good to rest most of the team's ball-handling duties on Rondo’s lap. It's where they belong.
Bradley’s touches per game have fallen from 47.7 to 38.1, per NBA.com. His usage rate is down, and his assist percentage is at a career low 5.7. Not all this season is peachy, however. Bradley’s PER is dangerously close to single digits, he isn’t getting to the free-throw line (11 attempts in 10 games) and, somehow, his turnover rate is actually up from last year.
It’s early in the season, though, and most of these figures should balance out eventually (most notably his outside shot). Bradley’s three-point percentage is considerably lower than it was last season, but that shouldn’t be cause for concern.
Rondo is giving Bradley more time and space to get deep shots off. Roughly 19 percent of Bradley’s attempts during the 2013-14 season were three-pointers with the closest defender over four feet away. That percentage is up to 27.6 this year, per NBA.com. Not all of this is Rondo’s doing, but a good chunk certainly is. Just over 40 percent of all passes that Bradley catches comes from Rondo (by far the most of any teammate).
Bradley's field-goal percentage on two-point shots is also markedly up from a year ago (from 45.1 to 51.6 percent). Even though Bradley doesn't score on this play, his brilliantly timed off-ball cut off Rondo's penetration shows just how easily he can put himself in position to score. Rondo's chaos is Bradley's gift.
Bradley has played just 80 minutes without Rondo by his side this season—a sample size too small to extract much meaning. But an interesting takeaway to note is where Bradley shoots with Rondo on the floor (as opposed to without him).
A higher chunk of Bradley's attempts come in the restricted area, the non-restricted area of the paint and behind the three-point line (both above the break and in the corner) with Rondo feeding him. When Bradley is by himself, exactly half his looks are mid-range jumpers. This isn't the worst news ever, considering that Bradley is an above-average shooter from this area of the floor, but it's far from ideal.
Over the long-term, Rondo's impact should make Bradley a far more efficient, effective player—someone who can focus on his strengths and not worry about fumbling through his weaknesses (of which there are several with the ball in his hands).
Boston's offense functions as a top-five unit when Bradley and Rondo are both on the floor, and it's no secret why. The four-time All-Star is making life easier for his young teammate, and the more they play together the better they'll be.
All statistics are courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com or NBA.com, unless otherwise noted.
Michael Pina is an NBA writer who's been published at Bleacher Report, Sports on Earth, FOX Sports, Grantland and a few other very special places. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelVPina.
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