Boston Celtics: The value of a soaring Avery Bradley
Nagging hip injuries didn’t slow down Avery Bradley in game five versus the Wizards, once again proving his worth to the Boston Celtics.
A healthy Avery Bradley has been a main factor in the success of the Boston Celtics over the past few seasons.
Turns out, a banged-up version of Bradley is just as vital.
The seventh-year guard dropped a career playoff-off high 29 points in Boston’s 123-101 game five win over the Washington Wizards.
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Bradley helped pick up the slack for a heavily guarded Isaiah Thomas and continued to show flashes of brilliance on the offensive end.
It marked the third time Bradley went for 20 points or more in this season’s playoffs. Bradley’s output in these playoffs has often correlated to the team’s success.
Coming into the season, the Celtics knew they were going to need a consistent second scorer behind Thomas. Through December 31 of 2016, Bradley was that guy.
During that span, Bradley scored in double figures every game. In fact, his first game under ten points was a January 16 game in which he scored five.
The injury bug took over as Bradley only played in 55 regular season games. He still finished second on the team in scoring (16.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.1).
Bradley also shot 46.3% from the field, his best percentage since his second-year.
Known for his stellar defense, Bradley has quietly turned into one of the better two-way players in the league. To get the best out of this season’s run, Bradley will need to continue to play as he has in Boston’s victories.
As Bradley goes so do the Celtics
Before the playoffs began, I thought Bradley would need to average 18-20 points per game for the Boston Celtics to make a deep playoff run.
The importance of Bradley has certain show its effects during this season’s playoffs.
In seven victories in the 2017 NBA playoffs, he has lived up to those expectations.
Even with a low of eight points in game four against the Chicago Bulls, Bradley is averaging 18.7 points per game in wins. He is shooting 50.5% from the field and 43.2% (19-44) from three-point range in these victories.
In four playoff losses, these numbers take a complete nose dive.
Playing in roughly the same amount of minutes per game, Bradley is averaging only 9.5 points per game. He is also shooting 33.3%, including 29.6% (8-27) from beyond the arc.
It’s safe to say when Bradley is on his game, the Celtics respond in kind. Washington has been doing their best to keep the ball out of the hands of Thomas. Bradley, Al Horford (19 points in game five), and Jae Crowder will need to continue to knock down their shots.
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Do that and the Wizards will be forced to play the Celtics more honestly on defense.
Then again, as Bradley has show this season, if he’s soaring it might not matter. And the best Bradley can be–as it turns out–is what’s best for business.