Avery Bradley Has Become the Boston Celtics' Latest Success Story

Avery Bradley knows reputations die hard through the life of an NBA career. 

A 6’2” off guard who lacked the handle, court vision and outside shot to run an effective offense when he first entered the league, Bradley’s clingy, physical, infuriating on-ball defense quickly became his calling card, and he was validated with a spot on 2013's NBA All-Defensive Second Team when he was only 22 years old.

Any other contributions beyond that would forever be gravy for a player drafted in the back half of the first round. Bradley was accurately labeled an undersized 3-and-D role player whose offensive production in the half court was almost always initiated by a teammate. He made baseline cuts and spotted up from the corner.

As recent as last year, only 26.8 percent of his baskets were unassisted.

Now, at 26 and ankle-deep in his seventh season, Bradley's game is suddenly more well-rounded. Long a supporting actor, he is emerging as a primary weapon whose growth has yet to stagnate; he's quietly become one of the most imposing two-way players in the entire league.

“People only know Avery Bradley as one thing, and that’s as a defender,” he told Bleacher Report before Sunday’s loss against the Denver Nuggets. “So it’s hard for people to believe anything else because they only see you in one way.”

Through six games, Bradley is averaging an efficient 19.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. (For reference, his career averages are 11.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists.) His unassisted baskets are up to 40.4 percent and he’s been a pyromaniac from beyond the arc, sinking 44.4 percent of his threes on the 12th-most attempts in the league. 

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“He’s played well,” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said. “If you look at kind of the arc of his efficiency over the last four years he’s really risen, and continues that rise. And that’s his hard work, that’s his commitment to getting better.”

Bradley’s shooting numbers will drop back to Earth sooner or later. He’s shooting 40 percent on pull-up threes while launching at least 2.5 per game—a mark only met by Steph Curry last season—and over half of his contested long twos have gone in. The unsustainability isn't lost on Bradley, who approaches every look the same way. 

“I’m just out there honestly just playing basketball,” he said. “Trying to get the reps up, trying not to think about it, take what the defense gives me.”

But the real revelation has been Bradley’s off-the-bounce game, the noticeable transformation into someone who not only hits tough jump shots at a high rate, but can also make those around him better after defenders clamp down to take away his first option.

He’s consistently delivering pin-point pocket passes and blowing by close-out defenders who think they’ve bottled him up. Possessions no longer die when the ball hits his hands as the shot clock goes red.

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Glimpses of crisp, John Wall-esque skip passes to the weak side popped up here and there in the preseason, but in games where the final score matters, Stevens felt comfortable leaning on Bradley early on, specifically against the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 29. 

“I thought Avery’s, not only his ball-handling, but his poise in running the lead guard late in that game, in the fourth quarter, made a big difference in the game,” Stevens said. “I thought he just made the right play with the ball. He got us into offense. He just played with the right pace and poise…He always gets better.”

Of players who’ve used at least 25 possessions as a pick-and-roll ball-handler, the only ones more efficient than Bradley are Jeremy Lin, Kawhi Leonard, DeMar DeRozan, James Harden and Isaiah Thomas, per NBA.com. Bradley’s volume is also up on these plays compared to last year. 

Some of that can be explained by a small sample size and Boston’s need to utilize Bradley and Thomas while several key offensive weapons are injured, but it’s also due to his own improvement, a bubbling self belief that’s just beginning to spill.

“This summer I just knew I needed to go into every single game with a little more swagger, a little confidence in myself instead of just being the quiet one because that’s when I get too comfortable or inconsistent,” Bradley said. “But when I bring it every single night, in my head, I’m saying it and I’m thinking that I’m better than someone else, or saying ‘I can do this, I can do that’, it just gives me more confidence going into the game.”

When a reporter asked if he considers himself one of the NBA's elite guards, Bradley replies with a simple and serious “of course.” It’s impossible to argue.

The rebounding numbers are so good that they hardly make sense: Not only does Bradley rank second among guards with 8.7 rebounds per game (Russell Westbrook is first with 9.0), but of all players who grab at least six defensive boards a game, DeMarcus Cousins, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook are included in the handful with a lower contested percentage (meaning rebounds gathered while an opponent is within 3.5 feet, per NBA.com) than Bradley. 

The Celtics have the league's third-lowest rebound rate, an expected area of concern given who they lost from last year’s team (i.e. Evan Turner, Jared Sullinger), their willingness to go small for extended stretches and a general lack of size. But Bradley stepped up where the Celtics need him without sacrificing all of those skills that made him a full-time starter in the first place. 

“Avery Bradley might be one of the most underrated players in the NBA,” Nuggets head coach Mike Malone said. 

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As versatile as he is cagey, Bradley can still tackle almost any defensive assignment thrown his way. He was a member of the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team last year, and he has his sights set on winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2017. He lunges for steals with impeccable timing, maintains discipline when contesting shots and doesn’t seem to ever run out of gas. 

With a minimum of 20 plays defended, Bradley's allowing the second lowest field-goal percentage to ball-handlers (23.1 percent), according to Bleacher Report Insights.

“I think he is the best defender I ever played,” Nuggets point guard Emmanuel Mudiay said. “No disrespect to anybody around the league, but he’s so feisty, man.”

The Celtics haven’t had the type of success on defense most expected they would (more on that later), but Bradley’s ongoing all-around development is arguably the most significant reason why Boston has the second-best offense in the league.

He’s a critical puzzle piece whose value continues to swell. 

Celtics Insider Notebook

Boston's defense is really struggling

One year after a top-five defense led them to the playoffs, the Boston Celtics can't stop anyone.

The excuses are too easy: Jae Crowder, Al Horford and Marcus Smart have all missed time, and they've already squared off against some quality offensive ball clubs. But those excuses don't support allowing 123 points at home against a Nuggets team that was on the second night of a back-to-back and came into TD Garden with an atrocious offense that scored 86 points the previous night. 

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"I think we play like a finesse team," Stevens said after that loss. His players agreed following the team's practice on Monday, an extended session that included extra film study.

"We're coming out too cool," Smart said. "[Opposing] teams are coming out ready. We're so used to being the guys that are sneaking up on everybody, that's just not the case this year."

Opponents are making 11.2 threes per game against the Celtics this year, which leads the league. They aren't forcing turnovers and allow a disturbing 1.16 points per possession after a made shot—again, league-worst.

The return of Horford, Crowder and Kelly Olynyk will help, and we're only six games into a long, unpredictable season. But the Celtics still have a ways to go before their defense can re-enter the top five.

Boston's offense is fine...for now

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While defense is a huge issue, the Celtics trail only the Cleveland Cavaliers in offensive rating. They rank first in assist-to-turnover ratio and barely edge the Golden State Warriors for first in true hooting percentage.

This is strange considering they don't get to the free-throw line and haven't been able to run out and score easy fast-break points. 

"Obviously, we have to continue to score, we have to play good offense, but I don’t want people to be outside of themselves, nor try to force things that aren’t there," Stevens said. 

All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com and are accurate as of Nov. 7.