Celtics’ Avery Bradley starting to round into offensive form

BOSTON -- It was just one game, a meaningless end-of-the-year schedule-filler. But in the 27 minutes he got in the Celtics’ finale last year, guard Avery Bradley showed that he had the potential to score in the NBA, making 10-of-16 shots for 20 points. That one game accounted for nearly 40 percent of the points that Bradley scored as a rookie.

In his second year, Bradley has gradually been able to make an impact for the Celtics. He didn’t play much early in the year, but as injuries began to force coach Doc Rivers to reach into his bench, Bradley, increasingly, got the call. He played well filling in for point guard Rajon Rondo, reinforcing his credentials as a potential shut-down defender in the backcourt. Offensively, though, he was still spotty.

Now, though, Bradley is filling in for the injured Ray Allen (ankle) and is proving his chops as more than a defender. He has started the last five games at shooting guard, and is averaging 14.6 points, shooting 52.8 percent from the field, during that stretch.

“It means a lot,” Bradley said before putting up 13 against the Miami Heat on Sunday. “Earlier in the season I had the chance to gain confidence, and now I’m even more confident. And every game I go in, and like I said, I know my defense can always beat the point if I play hard. So I play harder defense, and I let everything else work itself out. I get points off of cuts, I just go in there and play hard for my team.”

Part of getting points off cuts is that opponents don’t view Bradley as an offensive threat, and when Rondo, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are on the floor, defenses are going to choose to let Bradley try to beat them. Thing is, he’s been doing just that, finding soft spots in the defense and posting easy points.

“It’s been good,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said before the Miami game. “I like Avery and Rondo, just because of the defensive presence. You’re just hoping, offensively, they’re making enough shots to keep everybody honest. Avery, with his cutting—I kid him all the time, ‘Eventually they’re going to guard you. Right now, they still help off you and until they want to play you honest, keep making them pay for it.’”

The numbers support that. According to data from Synergy Sports, 64.4 percent of Bradley’s jump shots, before Sunday, have come unguarded. He is a good mid-range shooter and is excellent in transition, though he rarely drives to the basket. But, as Rivers pointed out, he has been able to take advantage of the Celtics’ good passing and lax defensive attention by cutting to the basket—about half of Bradley’s points this year have come in transition or off of cuts, according to Synergy.

For Bradley, it’s still defense first, and he will be challenged Sunday afternoon in trying to corral Heat star Dwyane Wade. But the Heat should be careful—if they don’t give Bradley some defensive attention, he will make them pay.