Boston Celtics player report card 2016-17: Avery Bradley

Avery Bradley, a shooting guard from the University of Texas, has been a member of the Boston Celtics since the team drafted him with the 19th pick in the 1st round of the 2010 NBA Draft.

Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley has established himself as one of the best two-way guards in the league.  Not only does he stifle ball-handlers with his quick hands and lateral quickness on defense,  he is capable of draining quick outside shots on the other end.

Statistically, Bradley had one of the more well-rounded and excellent seasons of his career. He averaged 16.3 points per game, which is his career high. He dished out 2.2 assists per game, which is consistent with last year’s numbers.

Bradley also grabbed 6.1 rebounds per game. Bradley shot the ball very well this year. He made his three-pointers 39 percent of the time, and made 46.3 percent of his total field goals. The Celtics are enjoying this level of offensive production.

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Defensively, Avery Bradley didn’t have any eye-popping numbers. They were solid, however. He averaged 1.2 steals per game. He also blocked less than 1 shot per game. Those numbers aren’t very impressive, but-like most great defenders-the stats don’t even paint half of the picture.

The Pros

What impressed me about Avery Bradley was his ability to stay in front of all of his match-ups, rarely letting someone blow by. When matched up against Kyrie Irving, he usually made Irving settle for turnaround jump shots and off-balance three-pointers, which are very low percentage shots, even for a guy like Kyrie.

Klay Thompson was another guy Bradley showed he could lock down. A big part of Avery’s defensive game is denying his man the ball, so Klay didn’t have many chances to touch the ball, other than to just lose it or pass it after being stopped. He didn’t have many opportunities to shoot the rock, and when he could get a shot off, he would miss more than he made.

Avery Bradley’s three-pointer looked very solid this season. Not his best percentage, but it’s his second best, only 0.5 percent less than his best shooting season from beyond the arc. Whenever he had space to knock down the three, he took the shot, and that confidence is essential for a top shooter in the league.

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Bradley had many opportunities to be clutch for Boston this year, and never failed to impress. There are many moments from this past year on offense and defense where he would hit a big shot or play game changing defense.

And the Cons…

Avery Bradley’s assist numbers are what make him a little under average in the passing department, even though he makes great in-game decisions, he needs to pass it more when his teammates are in scoring position. If he can bring his assists up, then he will be a lot more effective.

Avery Bradley averaged 5 attempted 3-pointers per game, which is not enough personally. If he is going to be a factor offensively, he has to get more shots up. He is an effective shooter, but he needs to be able to get up a higher volume of shots in order to continue to make positive strides. Avery has proven over the years that he can shoot the ball well, so he should have the green light more often.

Bradley also did not have a very good year from the charity stripe, a place where he usually thrives. He only made 73.1% of his free throws this year, which is the worst mark of his career. If this is just a one year skid, then we should see his numbers go back up next year. It wouldn’t hurt for him to work on that this off-season, however.

Season Grade: B+

Avery Bradley played a very solid season. He didn’t play his best, or his longest, but he still made a significant impact. He still will need to tune up his game a little bit, but other than minor issues, he plays a complete game of basketball. Bradley continues to play stellar defense and shoot the rock better each year.

As far as what’s in store for next year, we can expect him to score a lot more, as his numbers are steadily improving. We can hope for higher assist numbers and steal numbers, and his free throw percentage should return to normal.

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Bradley will still be trouble for even the best guards in the league, and (I hope)  he will take more shots from beyond the arc or in general. Needless to say, Bradley will continue to be a great Celtic.

Credit to nba.com for Avery Bradley’s stats