I was beginning to wonder if I could ever consider Avery Bradley a legit NBA player. It is has been slow coming and the jury is still out I suppose, but he went a long way towards establishing himself in last night's win.
Bradley's defense changes the game - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston
The Celtics topped the Nets 89-70 in the type of ugly win that few will remember at season's end. But for Bradley, it might have been a career-altering moment, the point at which he made a leap to certified NBA role player. All with his defense. "Sitting there on the bench, you could just tell it was kind of dead in there," Bradley said. "Sasha was like, 'If we get in, we're going to lift up the energy, we're going to do whatever we can do.' My strength is on the defensive end, so that's what I was focusing on. If I got in on defense, I was going to try to lift the energy."
It certainly was "dead in there" last night. And he picked a perfect time to shine (albeit against a poor and depleted Nets team). With Ray out with the flu, he had a chance at extended minutes and he did well with them.
celtics - Avery Bradley: The making of a defensive stopper - WEEI | Paul Flannery
Simply put, Bradley is a defensive terror, who not only possesses the physical tools to be a great defender – long arms, quickness and speed – he also has tremendous anticipation and awareness for such a young player. His job is to play fullcourt defense on the ball. It’s not to get steals, necessarily. If Bradley makes his man turn his back from the pressure and if the other team’s offense doesn’t start until about eight seconds have gone off the shot clock, then he’s been successful. "The thing we don’t want to do is to get overextended and pick up fouls in the backcourt," veteran guard Keyon Dooling said. "The thing that Avery did tonight was gauging that balance. He had perfect balance as far as when to attack defensively and when to get back on his heels and play solid."
Bradley has been criticized by many (including myself) for looking passive or not confident on offense. He even put up an early airball that I'm not sure was even tipped last night. But he didn't let himself get overly down. He focused on his strengths and good things happened.
Avery Bradley steps up - BostonHerald.com
That’s what Rivers has continually stressed to Bradley, the importance of allowing his performance to flow out of his defense. "Now I understand what my role is," Bradley said. "I agree. I’ve been a good defender my whole life. One thing I say is that I can have an off offensive game, but I can never have an off defensive game. I feel like my defense creates my offense and also builds my confidence, so I’m always going to come hard on defense.
The upside for Bradley has always been "a sane Tony Allen." That would be just fine with me (though I do miss Salmon & Mashed Potatoes some days - then I remember Bad Tony and the moment passes).
If he can learn the offense enough to stay out of the way and keep the ball moving, then he can be a disruptive force on defense - which will in turn feed into his confidence on offense and create transition opportunities as well.
I could get used to the idea of Bradley being our new defensive stopper.
0 recs | 122 comments
Hopefully...
He could be a great pest to players like Rose & Wade.
japsuki - January 5, 2012
We'll find out on the first Friday 13th of the year
Wintersun - January 5, 2012
He'll get called for a TON of cheap fouls on those guys...
…at least early on….almost every great defensive player goes through a tug-o-war with the refs for the first few seasons as they try and “break” them. If the player sticks with it, they end up gaining the respect from the refs and the calls/non-calls that go with it.
BillfromBoston - January 5, 2012
LOVED Bradley tonight...
he could be one of the best defensive guards in the game – I think I remember Doc saying that one of the keys to the defense in ’08 was having opponents start their offense with only ~16 seconds left on the clock, which Bradley forces them into almost every time.
Paddaball - January 5, 2012
Yes, this is a huge strategic factor.
You saw that effect in the Miami game – one of the biggest effects of switching to the zone wasn’t just about hiding/forcing matchups. It forced Miami to slow down and consume precious seconds coming up with an appropriate offense. As the Reds’ Army breakdown showed, they kept using up huge amount of the shot clock before even starting their offense.
Having a great press defender to slow down the other team at bringing up the ball gives you that advantage on every play.
mmmmm - January 5, 2012
Would like to see Rondo/Bradley at certain points
BillfromBoston - January 5, 2012
We've seen it a little bit so far.
It’s generally been one of our better combinations.
We used it last night, putting Avery on Brooks and Rondo on Farmar/Gaines.
Bradley has such long arms and good footwork, he’s able to defend much taller SGs.
mmmmm - January 5, 2012
If they're lucky they get 16 seconds.
A number of times it was closer to 10 before the ball even advanced to the 3-pt line.
Sizzlack - January 5, 2012
not buying it
still don’t know why he is playing in the n.b.a , i hope before the season ends he can prove me wrong ,(i dought it)
wal mark - January 5, 2012
That was hopefully pessimistic
bbeingphilled - January 5, 2012 via mobile
I 'dought' it...
japsuki - January 5, 2012
I think he has doughnuts on the mind.
It’s understandable really.
Sizzlack - January 5, 2012
Maybe you should have read the article or watch the games while the Celtics are on defense
He is in the NBA because he has elite on the ball defense. Not many guys can move laterally as quickly as he can on defense.
Btw, it’s ‘doubt’.
guava_wrench - January 5, 2012
I have to agree here.
Bradley may have some great defensive skills, but all this praise is coming on him after we played the terrible Nets, who were without three of their starters. And most of this new offensive prowess came in garbage time. To me, this proves very little.
It’s being said he plays some of the best defense for a guard in the league. Ok, cool. I like that. But if you can’t contribute on offense, you shouldn’t be playing in the NBA. Games are not won by how many baskets you prevent your opponent from making, but by how many baskets you make. At best, Bradley is having a neutral affect on the game. If he doesn’t start putting the ball in the hoop or dishing out dimes on a regular basis, then he’s just on borrowed time.
KY Celts fan - January 5, 2012
+1
I think we need to see him play a few more games like this first. I’d rather see Moore out there, he’s more balanced as a player.
Bradley doesn’t seem to have learned anything new over the summer to suggest he’s improved
vgarcia890 - January 5, 2012
Well, the defense at least.
Also comes from the Wizards game, where he played some great defense and really took John Wall and Crawford out of their rhythm for the stretches he was in there.
So I think it’s valid, those two aren’t exactly bums in the NBA, even though they play on bad teams. The offense well have to wait and see on. He’s got a good looking form on his jump shot, solid catch and release motion. I think he has the making of a solid off the ball player who can knock down some open shots, and slash from the wings. But only time will tell on that.
Bottom line is, he can’t impact games defensively no matter what, and I don’t think it’s too early to conclude that.
Sizzlack - January 5, 2012
Err, can, not can't.
Sizzlack - January 5, 2012
"Games are not won by how many baskets you prevent your opponent from making, but by how many baskets you make."
Umm …. what? Aren’t they both equally valuable?
mmmmm - January 5, 2012
No, offense is always more valuable than defense.
Ideally, you want both. You want a two way player who can both score and defend. And if you can do both, you’ll probably find a starter position in the league. However, if you’re going to play only one side of the ball, 19 out of 20 times coaches and GMs are gonna want a guy who can score rather than a guy who can defend. That’s why guys like Kevin Martin and Carmelo Anthony make a lot of money even though they don’t play defense, and the Tony Allens, and Bruce Bowens, and Ben Wallaces make league average or less.
KY Celts fan - January 5, 2012
That might be true.
But just because some short sighted GMs don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s the formula for winning Basketball.
The Celtics build themselves on defense, which is why they drafted Bradley in the first place.
Sizzlack - January 5, 2012
If I was starting a team from scratch
I’d take Ben Wallace in his prime over Carmelo Anthony in his prime any day (regardless of whether Anthony made more or less money than Wallace). One player’s defensive commitment and intensity can be contagious and inspire a whole team (see Garnett’s influence in Boston). It doesn’t really work like that on offense, where players who score and do little else (Eddy Curry, Jamal Crawford, Andre Blatche, Anthony) can have a negative impact on a team’s “culture”.
Tugboat - January 5, 2012
as would I
kuekuatsheu - January 5, 2012 via iPhone app
Oh - you are measuring 'value' by how much people will pay for it.
Which makes sense from an ‘offense sells tickets’ perspective.
But if you want to win basketball games, a point prevented is exactly equal to a point scored.
mmmmm - January 5, 2012
I'm not talking monetary value.
And I wholly support great defense. I believe in the old adage “offense wins games, but defense wins championships.” But if I was building my bench, and I had a choice between a great shooter or a great defender, I’d take the shooter. There’s a reason why Jason Terry is a perennial contender for sixth man of the year and Thabo Sefolosha isn’t. Players that can only score help their team more than players that only defend.
If two teams are in the Finals, and one team is an amazing defensive team with an average offense and the other is an amazing offensive team with an average defense, the better offensive team is gonna win 9 times out of 10.
KY Celts fan - January 5, 2012
Can you support that last statement with actual data?
I think a more consistent metric that you’ll find applies to championship teams is net offensive/defensive rating differential. i.e. championship teams tend to score more and give up less points per possession by a wide margin.
mmmmm - January 5, 2012
I don't have the time, willingness, or energy to look up all those numbers
You can consider that ceding the argument if you want, because I’m just not gonna do it. Consistently, teams that win championships are exceptional at both offense and defense. That’s how they become champions.
One of the Celtics biggest problems starting in the ‘08-’09 season was simply holding our leads and finishing games. It wasn’t a defensive problem as we were still able to keep the opponents score low. We would simply struggle to score late in games and teams were able to come back. So if you struggle to score, you’re gonna struggle to win.
KY Celts fan - January 5, 2012
In 08'-09'
The Celtics were 44-11 before Kevin Garnet injured his knee.. so I don’t know what problem you’re talking about when it came to finishing games. In fact, if i recall the celtics had a 10 point differential on defense between garnett’s playing and his absence.
IMO celtics would have easily gone back to the finals had Garnett been there.
Green Oracle - January 5, 2012
Actually I agree with you about the Celtics' past scoring problems.
If you were to look back at my posts during those times, I frequently cited our problems on offense as a problem.
But that’s because we were sub-par on offense (mainly due to lack of scoring off the bench but also due to no scoring from the 5 allowing teams to cheat a man into the paint).
Saying that our team needed more offense is not at all the same as saying offense is more important than defense.
here are some numbers for the C’s over the last few years:
It gets interesting if you sort by the ‘net rating’. Basketball-Reference has data back to 73-74:
Some things you can see in this data:
1) The wider the net margin, the more likely we made it to the Finals.
2) The times we won the Finals with a lowish margin (74 & 76) we had a stifling defense and a mediocre offense. We have not won the finals with the opposite (a mediocre defense and top offense).
3) The 2009-2010 team bears noting. Even though the Net margin was only 3.9 in the regular season, that’s deceptive because the team was injured so much. Once we hit the playoffs, everyone was healthy and our ‘effective’ margin during the playoffs was much larger. We cruised to the finals …. until Perk’s knee blew out.
4) Other than the three cases mentioned in (2) and (3), we have not made to the Finals (since ‘74) with less than a +5.8 net rating.
5) The 2008-09 team had a huge net margin, but that, too was deceptive as we built a lot of that with KG – but he was out when we hit the playoffs so we weren’t the same team. Hence, no Finals appearance.
6) That 2007-2008 team was freaking AWESOME!!!!
mmmmm - January 5, 2012
Also, the data for 2011-12 is, of course, for a mere 7 games
(3 without Pierce and 1 without Ray).
mmmmm - January 5, 2012
I'm in total agreement with you
John Hollinger will tell you that regular season point differential is an excellent indicator for postseason success. Though I hate to admit when he’s right because I don’t like his “only numbers matter” take on sports.
However, you yourself admit that a lack of scoring from our bench has been an issue for several seasons now. A guy like Avery Bradley only continues that problem. Perhaps it wont be an issue this year because we’re getting good production from Bass and Dooling and hopefully Pietrus. And I’m hoping Bradley develops out of it, but for now I don’t like what I’m seeing.
KY Celts fan - January 5, 2012 via mobile
I only disagreed with the idea that offense was more important than defense.
They are both important.
And yes, over the last few years, it has been painfully lacking from our bench.
However, even with Bradley still working on his offense, this year’s bench has some big rays of hope – Bass is clearly a ‘go to’ scorer for the second unit and both Wilcox and Stiemsma can actually SCORE!!! We have sucked at getting any offense from our Center for most of the last few years – with the exception of a few wonderful weeks with Healthy Shaq™. It’s like a breath of fresh air to have three Centers on the roster who can all hit a jumper and finish at the rim!
That has a ripple effect through the offense, as opposing teams can’t just ignore our 5 like they used to do with Perk & BBD. They have to step out to defend JO/Stiemsma/Wilcox and won’t be able to stay planted in the paint. This opens things up for our other scorers.
Dooling is proving to be a good outside shooter for space. Pietrus has historically been a decent 3PT shooter as well.
We do eventually need Bradley to be able to contribute on offense, but even without that, this bench looks potentially better on offense than it has for some time. And Bradley’s history at other levels (H.S., college, D-League) all suggest that his offense will eventually be fine.
mmmmm - January 5, 2012
A lot of scoring teams of the past with no D
Often do not win championships.
Staubach - January 5, 2012
Not saying they do
In fact, they almost never do. You have to play both sides of the ball. It’s the reason why Mike D’Antoni has never and will never win a championship. Most overrated coach in the league.
KY Celts fan - January 5, 2012
But you can't win an nba championship
Without a great offensive player. Look through the previous years’ rosters who won it all
vgarcia890 - January 5, 2012
True
but it’s pretty easy to make that same case about a great defensive player.
Chandler, Kidd
Duncan, Bowen, Robinson
Garnett, Rondo, Brown
Kobe, Artest, Shaq
Billups, Wallace, Prince
Shaq, Wade, Payton, Mourning
All of those guys were 1st/2nd team All Defense at least once. Most of them numerous times. Those are your champions of the last 11 years (dating back to the final Jordan era. Those Bulls featured three of the best defensive players ever.)
Tugboat - January 6, 2012
nope
Great offense always beats good defense
vgarcia890 - January 5, 2012
MJ is living proof of that. But he played extremely over the top defense too. It starts
with defense really. Then you need offense to close out games.
leonitus - January 8, 2012
Agree but
You’re right, but I think that he finally looked comfortable playing. We’ve seen some glimpses of his athleticism but no results. Last nite he actually looked comfortable and not scared. And we know the opponent was more like a D-league team than a real NBAS team. But some of the things he did offensively looked instinctive, he wasn’t thinking, which is a good thing. The kid has the ability and athleticism to play in the league, for him to be succesfful he has to have the mental game, and that’s what I saw a glimpse of last night.
badax33 - January 5, 2012
His full court drive (ending in a foul) was a beautiful thing to witness. A very confident and quite speedy play. I am sure Doc loved it.
I thought he had shown to turn a corner last night. Way more loose and confident on O. And stellar D.
His spot in the rotation should be clear.
kuekuatsheu - January 5, 2012 via iPhone app
looked good, looked really good
Now he needs to prove he can bring that kind of defensive intensity and turn up the pressure on opposing ball handlers consistently night in a night out. His offense isn’t really important so long as he isn’t killing us on that end.
This team is going to depend on these younger guys to bring something positive to the table every game to be successful because the Big Three and JO cannot bring their A game every night like they once could. To be successful they need these kids to step up.
This was a start for Avery Bradley. Welcome to the NBA young man. Now do it again on Friday.
CelticsFanNC - January 5, 2012
i remember the other day i commented steamer looked pretty good
very early on
http://www.celticsblog.com/2011/12/20/2648660/problems-solved#86249261
everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt i suppose
glad bradley had a good game, LOVE the bloodhound reference by KG
we was all about energy – and will be helpful
mcpu40 - January 5, 2012
This is what happens with young players.
They’ll have some nice games here and there, and fans will grossly over-react to each one.
Eventually, they gain some consistency and develop into solid rotation players. Or they don’t.
Time will tell.
Sizzlack - January 5, 2012
Well, he's definitely an elte one-on-one defender
Unfortunately, he still misses rotations, and I’m interested to see him guard a PG faster than the illustrious Jordan Farmar.
And his offense is still terrible. Not that he can’t improve.
So I’m not signing up for the Avery Bradley era quite yet, but today did offer me a glimmer of hope, and as with all Celtics, I’ll certainly hope for the best
KGHurtYourFeelings - January 5, 2012
yes, and i'll note that when he came in, i said to my seven year old son
- this guy is on the bubble, let’s see how good he does and he instantly drained a 3 -
…so there’s that, and his defense was quite nice, 11 points overall on 4-8 shooting with a couple assists…he can only get better, speedy he is
mcpu40 - January 5, 2012
He did pretty well on John Wall the night before...
..but no one noticed cuz he didn’t score…
BillfromBoston - January 5, 2012
I noticed and posted about it. So did others. He gave Wall and Crawford fits.
Up until last night, there was about an even split on Bradley, I suspect more folks are coming around after last night. But we also have to accept these guys are human and not going to play great all the time. We get high on Bradley last night or White Out the other night, but they are still learning and will have some bad games.
One big positive for me this year is the team’s athleticism and quickness, probably not seen at this level through the roster since the Big 3 era began. We are actually a younger, faster team now, even at the back up center position with Wilcox and White Out.
JPV - January 5, 2012
Good subject
Too many posters here have been too quick to write him off. Certainly his shooting still looks either bad or terrified much of the time. And last year he looked like an 8th grade travelling team guard bringing the ball up. But he was quick as hell then, eager in a positive way, and he is maybe more of both of those this year. He should have stayed in school another year. Period! Now he’s all of 20 and that is still the N-B-A out there on the court. Everybody’s hands are quick. Everybody has been schooled in protecting the ball. So, he belongs in the league and on the court for what he can do, when we need it.
Tommy has referenced it a couple times and I saw too the last game of year against Knicks. He played loose and he played well. A glimpse of the possibility.
To me the measure of this year is not on Danny or even the players. It’s on Doc. Can he manage rotations given the mix of aging and young players? We know his grain goes against playing young guys. Interesting that since he said Moore had moved ahead of Bradley, Bradley’s minutes, not Moore’s, have gone up. And aside from the spotty shooting Bradley’s been disruptive on D and not turning the ball over on O. So props to Doc on that one. Same with Doc on Stiemsma. And it looks like JJ is where Bradley was last year – completely unsure of himself out there. But we needed length more than another shooter so I still prefer him to M Brooks. Patience needed
I can’t get over what a 1 for 1 steal B Bass for BBD was. They are dopes in Orlando.
Wildblu1 - January 5, 2012
i trust doc to guide this team to it's utmost potential
-
mcpu40 - January 5, 2012
ps; LOVE the last part of your post
- i couldn’t WAIT to get rid of BBD and they did, and got a great deal
- BBD did help to secure #17, no doubt about that
- but he just didn’t fit in the quest for #18
mcpu40 - January 5, 2012
Actually, BBD didn't really do that much for #17
BBD only got 137 minutes during those playoffs, ahead of only Tony Allen’s 65.
For comparison, our other bigs off the bench, Powe (270) and PJ (341) recieved much more significant time (and both were much more productive with their time).
BBD started to become a bigger part of the team the next season.
mmmmm - January 5, 2012
i said he helped, that's all -
mcpu40 - January 5, 2012
He had the best face in the picture.
So ya, that was a good help.
Sizzlack - January 5, 2012
Hmm, maybe
Russell’s proud and stoic face might trump all.
kuekuatsheu - January 5, 2012 via iPhone app
How I long to see the C's celebrate another championship
vgarcia890 - January 5, 2012
THAT is a great picture!!
JPV - January 5, 2012
this picture
has been my desktop picture for years now. nothing brightens my spirits more.. other than maybe that pic of shelden williams dunking in his own face from a few nights ago…
JunkyardDawg - January 5, 2012
Awesome. I love that picture!
mmmmm - January 5, 2012
I think Davis
Didn’t play in the finals until garbage time in game 6 (which was about half the game). He didn’t really help. Scalabrine on the other hand was huge. See if you can find him (wheres Waldo) in that picture.
AussieGreen - January 5, 2012
topmost, behind wyc!
Rany - January 6, 2012
Powe.
kuekuatsheu - January 5, 2012 via iPhone app
Great Deal doesn't begin to describe it.
Bass is perfect for this team, he is everything we’ve wanted BBD to be for years, and he never was.
He’s struggling to pick up the defensive rotations right now, which is, quite literally, the ONLY negative thing you can say about him. And that will come in time, BBD had 4 years to learn the defense, we can’t expect Bass to do it in a month.
Bottom line, that trade is an absolute steal, Otis Smith should be embarrassed. But that’s nothing new really…
Sizzlack - January 5, 2012
DH's Pal
I wonder how much of Otis Smith trading for BBD was because he’s a buddy of DH. If so, that tells you why some GMs don’t really talk to their players about player transactions.
To further expound on it, didn’t Danny Ferry, deliver just about everybody that King James wanted – Mo Williams, Jamison, Anthony Parker, Shaq etc. And James took his talent to Miami!!!
badax33 - January 5, 2012
Somewhere Red is puffing on a cigar with a grin
Ainge absolutely fleeced Otis Smith—and to think that the Magic have him for the next four years at nearly $7 mm/per? Oh my it’s a long time before that’s an expiring contract to move.
McHaleinthepost - January 5, 2012
Just as an aside - did anyone see BBD's box score from last night?
4 points (on 2-10 shooting). 4 rebounds. 25 Minutes.
Not feeling so nostalgic for BBD right at the moment.
GreenInNYC - January 5, 2012
Shaping up to be one of the worst trades in a long time.
And Orlando fans wonder why they’re going to lose Dwight.
Can’t blame him, blame Otis Smith for sucking at his job.
Sizzlack - January 5, 2012
Yeah, but you can blame him a little
Dwight suggested he wanted to leave because he wanted more input on player personel decisions than Otis was giving him. Including that he wanted Glen Davis. It’s possible that ownership pressured Otis to acquire DH’s buddy GD.
dslack - January 5, 2012
I loved this game!!!
It was refreshing to see some ATHLETICISM out there.
Bradley playing insane defense, showing quickness to the hoop, Bass finishing above the rim, Wilcox plays like a real athlete….. and Stiemsma was just an afterthought!
It was fun. I’m honestly getting bored of the Big 3. This team needs to show something else, and have players that can impact a game besides the usual suspects.
What Boston needs to contend is our depth needs to be better than Chicago and Miami’s depth. Paul/Ray/KG are still the core but if we can get real minutes and real production (offense/defense) out of Bass/Bradley/Wilcox/Steamer/Daniels…..we can play with the big boys.
Causeway - January 5, 2012
Defense generates offense
I think Bradley’s offensive game will come with playing time but the kid is a great weapon off the bench defensively. If one of the opposition guards is tearing us up, bring Bradley in to pester him. His defense will lead to steals that we convert to points, His defense will make it longer for the opposing PG to bring the ball across mid-court and set a play, therefore disrupting the offense, His defense will lead to bad passes and otherwise force the PG to think more about Bradley than setting up his teamates. Who cares if it was the Nets? He has to be one of the quickest players. He is definitely a keeper.
I think this team is so much better constructed than last year, even though our record does not show it. We could easily be 5-2 or 6-1 with a couple of breaks the other way. If Pietrus can play at a high level and everyone stay healthy, this team is dangerous.
JPV - January 5, 2012
I concur completely about the team construction.
The bench – again, if healthy – is much more complementary with each other and with the starters.
So long as we stay healthy (or ‘get’ healthy in the case of Pietrus), this team has a great chance.
mmmmm - January 5, 2012
*Cough* Should be 5-2.
Knicks game was stolen by Joey Crawford.
Sizzlack - January 5, 2012
yup
mcpu40 - January 5, 2012
At least
Knicks have a losing record. We won’t be seeing much from them this yr i don’t think
vgarcia890 - January 5, 2012
I get furious at referees
while watching games, and they can definitely affect an outcome. But I can never agree when someone says that a team lost because of the refs, even the Celtics. And there were certainly other opportunities for us to beat the knicks…
but man, screew Joey Crawford and that foul on Marquis. I almost let loose a savage string of profanities at my girl’s parents’ house right before the Christmas meal. But the ham was pretty good
KGHurtYourFeelings - January 5, 2012
+1
kuekuatsheu - January 5, 2012 via iPhone app
Maybe...
In a short college career and very few minutes playing in the NBA, he’s ahead of the game defensively. I know it was the Nets, but this guy got into their heads. Rondo used to do more of this but we can’t expect Rondo to defend every dribble AND run the entire offense the whole game.
I hope Bradley gets the playing time to see if he’s as good of a defender as I think.
CelticsFan616 - January 5, 2012
Good point.
Rondo will do it for stretches, but if he did it for an entire 30 minutes +, while also running the fast break and the offense, he’d run himself into the ground.
Which is exactly why Bradley can be so valuable for the team, he allows Rondo to take a rest, pick up the opposing two guard at half court, and let Bradley put pressure on the other team the full length. The greatest thing about watching what Bradley does, is while he’s chasing the guy all the way down the court, the other 4 guys are on the other end, watching and resting.
So not only is it disrupting the opposing teams offensive flow, getting them out of rhythm, it’s also providing “on-court rest” for the rest of the guys on the floor. Making stretches of a game considerably “lighter” minutes. These sort of on-court breaks, where guys are able to catch their breath and not be constantly moving and running, make a big difference over the course of the game.
Sizzlack - January 5, 2012
same ole
i heard the same thing last year same talk same game and what did i tell everyone, run him thru picks and hes just what he is an over rated player getting hype thats not awarded him. when is this guy gonna turn into the player hes suppose. now its all bs hes a good defender he can help rest players, we need guys who can play. hes weak and his game is fale. im not buying this after playing 1 good game in garbage time. its easy to play when your up 21 points he isn’t a good player but i hope he proves me wrong
18champs - January 5, 2012
Thanks.
I hope you’re wrong too.
Well, actually, I know you are. But I hope he proves it consistently at least.
Sizzlack - January 5, 2012
it's all bs he's a good defender?
well, you must be right.
the whole celtics nation must be wrong.
paolost - January 5, 2012
Good points--hadn't considered them previously
McHaleinthepost - January 5, 2012
Sizzlack
McHaleinthepost - January 5, 2012
I love this post
Granted, I’m nowhere near a professional athlete who is in ridiculous shape, but I have played my share of hoops. These on-the-court rests can play a HUGE role in games. BBall is all about the sudden bursts of energy. Diving into a passing lane to get a steal. Finding your man quickly when a shot goes up and bumping him off with authority so that he has no chance at a rebound. And of course sprinting down to the other end for an easy fast break bucket.
Picking and choosing your moments to rest is the key to all of this. If you go full speed all the time you’ll be gassed in no time, but with short rests in between you can go hard for quite a while. Having one guy provide the energy to completely disrupt the other team’s offense is great. If the ballhandler can’t safely pass it to your man, you can just stand there and wait for your moment. Great point sir, and one I’m surprised I didn’t think of.
Aluminum Penguin - January 5, 2012
A good point indeed
kuekuatsheu - January 5, 2012 via iPhone app
tho a different position it is nice to see a tony allen defender on the team. he needs time to develop- last year was a wash and he still is a mere tad. marquis is playing good d as well as sasha, but both are the shooters from hell. they have to improve and doc has to be able to spot them in the right slot. i don’t like the subs playing all at once- no offense.
nazzbo - January 5, 2012
Defense > Offense
What he needs to realize, and I’m sure he will is that his offense doesn’t need to be as fast paced and as hectic as his defense. He’s playing them BOTH on the same level right now, so he appears anxious and disheveled on offense and superb on defense. Defense SHOULD be played the way he does, offense shouldn’t. Playing time will cure that. On offense he will learn to pick his spots when to be explosive. I see him in 2 yrs as being a pretty good combo guard and one that will be reliable to our 2nd unit.
mainevent - January 5, 2012
I wish
We never let tony Allen go. We could deploy a a small defensive unit with rondo Allen and bradley. I loved watching ta and rondo suffocate backcourts
Mooose - January 5, 2012 via mobile
He wanted to go somewhere were he'd get more minutes
Based on the comments of his mother, Ainge, and the team it sounds like we were willin to offer him similar money. He wanted a fresh start and made the most of it. Good for him.
Hopefully Bradley can keep carving out the new role for him.
Fafnir - January 5, 2012
Partially true.
But Ainge did admit that he was unwilling to offer the 3rd year at first, which also played a portion.
At the time, Ainge was hell bent on protecting the 2013 cap space (he still is), so had offered Tony only a two year deal. Memphis came in and offered him 3 years right away. Money was about the same per year, but the extra guaranteed money, along with the opportunity to potentially play more minutes, enticed Tony.
Danny has come out and said he regrets not offering Tony the 3-year deal right from the start, and thinks if he had, Tony would have stayed.
Sizzlack - January 5, 2012
Yep
This was Ainge’s biggest blunder in recent years. Imagine the kind of full court pressure defense you could play by rotating Rondo, Tony and Avery?
IanMello - January 5, 2012
Ainge should have given him the same money in 2 years as Memphis gave for 3
That way, he could have protected cap space and gotten TA to sign.
dslack - January 5, 2012
I don't think it was that simple.
I’m almost certain that Allen wanted that 3rd year, regardless of salary.
But yes, I do wish Allen had re-signed. On the other hand, this would have deprived the world of the time he had the Grizzlies logo shaved into the back of his head.
IsItTheShoes - January 5, 2012 via mobile
I don't think this makes sense
Doesn’t it make more sense to make $10M in 2 years than to make $10M in 3 years? If you make $10M in 2 years, you are nearly guaranteed to make more money over a 3 year span (as long as you don’t end up out of the NBA, in which case you get the exact same money).
dslack - January 5, 2012
Yeah, to you or I that may seem odd. But that’s the reason cited as to why he joined Memphis.
IsItTheShoes - January 6, 2012 via mobile
He couldn't.
He can’t just pay TA whatever he wanted, there’s a maximum raise he’s allow with Bird rights. So he couldn’t just go crazy to pay Tony ridiculous money for two years.
Then again, even if he could, you really think Wyc and the ownership group is going to be ok with shelling out upwards of 20 million to keep TA for two years? (They were a tax team that year, so they’re paying a dollar for dollar value for money over the tax limit) They might be willing to spend, but there’s a limit on that.
So really, it came down to that third year.
Sizzlack - January 6, 2012
Not true
At least not really. With Bird rights, the team can pay him up to the maximum salary. $5M/year would have been well below the max salary, so it would have been allowed.
As far as whether to spend that much on luxury tax, yeah, that’s an issue. But Boston offered the same salary but for 2 years, not 3. So, they offered $3.3M/year. That would have been a difference of $6.8M over two years (including luxury tax), not $20M. It might be that ownership decided that they couldn’t (or didn’t want to) spend an extra $6.8M over what they had already spent just to hold onto Tony Allen. But I’m not convinced. His departure has necessitated bringing in Pavlovic, Pietrus, and also probably contributed quite a lot to Perkins/Green trade. So, a lot of money has been spent trying to cover for TA’s leaving.
dslack - January 7, 2012
James Posey, Tony Allen, Perk, David West, what else is new
Wth is really going on in that bargaining table! Isnt that funny that there’s always an underlying excuse why these peeps didnt get paid and left Boston? It’s not like they are asking for Rondo money or years. It’s always that one additional year that’s the deal breaker…. Then you turn around and pick up oft injured Jermaine with the MLE…
leonitus - January 8, 2012
BRADLEY
bradley hasn’t done anything yet and it wasn’t wahl it was crawford he was guarding. wahl detroyed him last year and will again if he matches up with him. bradley is a bum and i agree with the other guy he should not be in the nba or not on bostons team. i love how you all get excited over someone getting points in junk time up by 20 points. this guy has 1 good game and everyone is going crazy. he hasn’t showed me anything the past 2 years. ya his d is ok but he look like a lost lil puppy out there. ill say im wrong if this guy proves me wrong.
18champs - January 5, 2012
Disagree, completely.
But you’re entitled to your opinion.
Sizzlack - January 5, 2012
My guess....
is that 18champs is no older than Bradley. The real NBA is not like your video games, 18champs. Not too many 20 year olds can walk into a Celtics culture and contribute much. And not too many people posting here are over-rating him (a few are a little too excited). But the kid played well. New Jersey is weak, for sure, but they are NBA players and Bradley showed well.
You are correct that Bradley didn’t impede Wall Monday night. He didn’t get much match up with him that I remember. But he did bother the other guy quite a bit. Bradley’s biggest weaknesses are his lack of confidence out there and his less than average shot. What most of us like is to see progress in both areas.
Wildblu1 - January 5, 2012
He guarded both Wall and Crawford.
Calling him a “bum” is kinda harsh, no? I believe he will prove you wrong. At 21, his upside is incredible.
JPV - January 5, 2012
its one good game
for Bradley if he keep this up well and good if not then its just a fluke.
elvyn - January 5, 2012
The jury is out, but I'm pessimistic
Kedrick Brown was “defense ready” as well, but could never grasp the offense and in-between game to warrant being an NBA player. The jury is out, but Avery may fall into this mold as well. I wouldn’t exactly call Avery a “stopper” yet, but his defensive skills are obvious. The larger question is whether Avery can be an overall asset on the floor. Last night was a good one, but for the most part Avery has been a liability. Ball handling, passing, shooting, etc. Doc recently suggested Avery would be replaced by Moore in the rotation. That’s not a good sign for the kid.
evan2133 - January 5, 2012
Except then, the opposite happened.
mmmmm - January 5, 2012
doc loves to create competition
Just trying to light a fire under them.
kuekuatsheu - January 5, 2012 via iPhone app
we are 4-3. Thats interesting because that will be our record in the finals against OKC..4-3
wahz - January 5, 2012
as pierce said last night, bradley's problem is confidence
people need to keep in mind that in a lot of the games where he’s looked awful he’s been playing with the 3rd string, and they’ve gotten crushed as a result. he needs to play more with the starters so he can get his confidence up and he can find his niche. once he settles down into his role there will be less pressure on him as he develops the other aspects of his game.
and he just turned 21, people – don’t give up on a guy just because he hasn’t turned the corner at that young age. heck, his brain isn’t even fully developed yet.
he has all the tools to be a GREAT player someday, and i think he will be.
Kraidstar - January 5, 2012
I loved that Pierce gave him a big 'atta-boy' chest bump
right after Bradley forced Farmar to dribble the ball out of bounds for a turnover.
mmmmm - January 5, 2012
That was great--high point of the game for me
McHaleinthepost - January 5, 2012
yup
kuekuatsheu - January 5, 2012 via iPhone app
That's the whole reason why last night was so encouraging
I think he even air-mailed his first shot, but after that he played with the most confidence that I’ve ever seen from him. Yes it was against a garbage opponent in garbage time, but that confidence building in extended minutes is HUGE for the development of a young player. I was really happy for him, and I’m really rooting for him to continue to grow as a player.
Aluminum Penguin - January 5, 2012
Yes he airmailed his 1st shot. But he still played a bunch of minutes not in garbage time. His coast to coast drive on which he was hacked was a confident move not in garbage time.
kuekuatsheu - January 5, 2012 via iPhone app
Then again sure, the whole game could be construed as garbage time.
kuekuatsheu - January 5, 2012 via iPhone app
I hope we're not talking
About Bradley’s confidence next year. If you’re in the nba then you’re a professional athlete
vgarcia890 - January 5, 2012
Part of the reason so many of us like the nba is because we have at some point in our lives played basketball at some level, be it jv, ymca, boys club, or street ball. We can envision ourselves doing what these players get to do for a living!!! Some interesting stats to think about, there are 35 million men in the USA between the age of 20 – 35 years old. There are 450 NBA players!!!! Why do people insist on calling players, weak, saying their game is fake, calling a NBA player a bum? So what if this particular player doesn’t score 10 – 15 pts per game, or grab 10 rebounds per game? This kid has a TOTAL of 227 minutes of playing time in the NBA. HOW POLISHED of a player SHOULD he be??? To call someone a bum, or fake or useless is bordering on stu_idity. He is still 1 of 450 talented enough to be playing a game for money, that we all love and I would gladly trade places with him!!!!!
greensince72 - January 5, 2012
thank you
kuekuatsheu - January 5, 2012 via iPhone app
Charles Bradley or Lindsey Hunter
Charles Bradley was a favorite of mine in the 80’s because he could play great defense but he never got it all together.
Lindsey Hunter was a defensive spark off the bench for the 2044 Detroit championship team.
I think Avery Bradley has the potential to be a better defender than Lindsey Hunter.
I think it is great that he dominates non-elite point guards as that will help build his rep when he plays against the elite point guards.
He still has a lot to learn but being able to change the energy level in a game is a great thing to have coming off the bench.
As long as Bradley learns to not commit turnovers I will be happy with whatever offense he can give the Celtics
rqk - January 5, 2012
Ah, the 2044 Detroit Championship team
One of my favorites!
Green Oracle - January 5, 2012
Lindsey Hunter was a defensive spark off the bench for the 2044 Detroit championship team.
Window into the future? ;)
kozlodoev - January 5, 2012
Bradley
Give him 35 mins. a game to see him really get down. Bring Rondo off the bench in a few games wouldn’t hurt.
juanpan - January 5, 2012
I think that Ainge is a genius, Bringing in the Steamer, Trading Baby for Bass, and an overlooked aspect is that he brought together the best character team in the NBA, I don't think it was an accident, he wanted hard working vets to teach AB,JJ, Moore.
watching interviews with Wilcox, Sasha, Dooling. You can see these are high character guys. What a good way to start the rebuild next year with a roster, with a roster full of good guys. The C’s are like the Anti-Wizards.
Its good to have a GM that considers character along talent, drafting knuckleheads only sets you back in the long run.
businessbmw - January 5, 2012
It's a much more mature bench, no doubt.
Wilcox, Dooling, Bass, they go about their business in the right way.
That being said, consistent production has not been there yet, with the exception of Bass, and the unit is still very much a work in progress.
I think not bringing back Delonte was a mistake, he brought a scoring and shot creating presence the team is really missing right now. Dooling has shown flashes, but he’s more of a spot up shooter than he is a shot creator. He’s nowhere near the player Delonte is getting to the rim and creating offense.
Sizzlack - January 6, 2012
The Detroit Pistons Championship Team of 2044
I’m turnin’ 60 yrs old (real OLD, at that !!!!) later this month; but, if that Pistons team is gonna be all that you “remember”, I’m gonna hafta quit all the smokin’, drinkin’ and whorin’ (can’t do that much no mo’ anyways). ‘Cause I just gotta be around in ’44 for that reincarnation of the “Bad Boys of B-ball”. I’d even give consideration to droppin’ my cussin’ habit to be there, ‘cept no one who’s a fan of Detroit sports can surrender their inalienable right to profane self-expression (on pain of ex-communication).
OK, the previous paragraph was a cheap shot !!!!
I, and everybody else, understands that the writers’ intention was to write, “2004”. Still, like a open jumper… “it was there and I had to take it”.
Joe Blough - January 12, 2012
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