When did Bradley become a chucker?

[BballTim]

I'm sure that he's being coached to shoot more.

  Same with Sully and all the threes.

You make it sound as if Sully is out there bombing 3s left and right. So far this season he's only taken more than two 3-pointers in 2 games. In those two games, he went 2-4 and 2-3.

I know people don't like bigs shooting 3s, but it's drawing more attention than it really needs.

  I'm not comparing Sully to Antoine. I've just seen posts complaining about Sully taking so many threes and I was just commenting that the coach is more likely than not encouraging these players to do some of the things they're being criticized for.

[Kuberski33]

I miss Bradley the defensive specialist who shot only when wide open.

On the right team, that's what he'll be. Have a feeling he's going to wind up with that 'right' team for next season.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I'm sure that he's being coached to shoot more.

  Same with Sully and all the threes.

You make it sound as if Sully is out there bombing 3s left and right. So far this season he's only taken more than two 3-pointers in 2 games. In those two games, he went 2-4 and 2-3.

I know people don't like bigs shooting 3s, but it's drawing more attention than it really needs.

  I'm not comparing Sully to Antoine. I've just seen posts complaining about Sully taking so many threes and I was just commenting that the coach is more likely than not encouraging these players to do some of the things they're being criticized for.

On that much I agree.

[mmmmm]

I'm sure that he's being coached to shoot more.

  Same with Sully and all the threes.

You make it sound as if Sully is out there bombing 3s left and right. So far this season he's only taken more than two 3-pointers in 2 games. In those two games, he went 2-4 and 2-3.

I know people don't like bigs shooting 3s, but it's drawing more attention than it really needs.

  I'm not comparing Sully to Antoine. I've just seen posts complaining about Sully taking so many threes and I was just commenting that the coach is more likely than not encouraging these players to do some of the things they're being criticized for.

I think there is something to this.

I watched the game again this a.m. and in particular watched Green and Wallace a lot.  They combined to barely touch the ball on the offensive side of the court.  Maybe less than a couple dozen touches combined - of any kind.

When they came down for sets, both of them would often just jog to the corner, out of the way, with body language that said, "This play is not going to come to me."   It wasn't even 'frustration' or 'resignation'.  It looked like more, "This is the plan."

I also noticed that Green and Wallace chatted a lot with each other throughout the game.  It usually _seemed_ to be about the game, as they would point and gesture out at the court.

I'm not sure exactly what Stevens is trying to accomplish, but our offense is very bizarre to watch right now.

So the idea that Bradley is being coached to let it fly 22 times ... at this point, I can believe anything.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I'm sure that he's being coached to shoot more.

  Same with Sully and all the threes.

You make it sound as if Sully is out there bombing 3s left and right. So far this season he's only taken more than two 3-pointers in 2 games. In those two games, he went 2-4 and 2-3.

I know people don't like bigs shooting 3s, but it's drawing more attention than it really needs.

  I'm not comparing Sully to Antoine. I've just seen posts complaining about Sully taking so many threes and I was just commenting that the coach is more likely than not encouraging these players to do some of the things they're being criticized for.

I think there is something to this.

I watched the game again this a.m. and in particular watched Green and Wallace a lot.  They combined to barely touch the ball on the offensive side of the court.  Maybe less than a couple dozen touches combined - of any kind.

When they came down for sets, both of them would often just jog to the corner, out of the way, with body language that said, "This play is not going to come to me."   It wasn't even 'frustration' or 'resignation'.  It looked like more, "This is the plan."

I also noticed that Green and Wallace chatted a lot with each other throughout the game.  It usually _seemed_ to be about the game, as they would point and gesture out at the court.

I'm not sure exactly what Stevens is trying to accomplish, but our offense is very bizarre to watch right now.

So the idea that Bradley is being coached to let it fly 22 times ... at this point, I can believe anything.

I don't buy the idea that Bradley is being told to shoot that much.

From what I've seen from Stevens is... don't pass up open/good shots, that we're taking too many dribbles per touches.

What does that mean to me? That he wants Bradley to shoot more certainly, but that he doesn't like that Bradley is holding on to the ball, dribbling and then put up a shot (which is how many of these shots are coming).

So there's a distinction to be made between telling a player to shoot the ball, and to be a chucker who doesn't move the ball.

[LooseCannon]

I'm not sure exactly what Stevens is trying to accomplish, but our offense is very bizarre to watch right now.

I think he wants them to get used to playing the role they would play on the team if they are still on the team when the roster is better.

Maybe that means he and Ainge foresee replacing Bradley with a shooting guard who you would want to see taking 15-20 shots per game.

[Celtics4ever]

I've just seen posts complaining about Sully taking so many threes and I was just commenting that the coach is more likely than not encouraging these players to do some of the things they're being criticized for.

Sully and KO  should not be shooting threes as bad as they are at them.   Vitor is ok at them.  These other guys are bums from three point land.

[LooseCannon]

I thought about starting another thread on this, but let's just continue this one:

At ESPN Boston, Chris Forsberg says, "Keep Shooting, Avery":

What Bradley appears to have realized recently is that teams are giving him the freedom to take that mid-range jumper so when he finds space coming off a pick-and-roll, he's not hesitating. And he shouldn't. Bradley is shooting an excellent 47.1 percent (40 of 85) from the mid-range overall this season, including 53.1 percent (17 of 32) over these last three games. As he struggles to reestablish the catch-and-shoot 3-pointer as a consistent weapon (he's shooting 23.8 percent on corner 3s this season), Bradley has made the mid-range his sweet spot and has resuscitated his own offense in the process.

For Boston, 14.7 percent of its offensive possessions have finished in the hands of pick-and-roll ball-handlers, according to Synergy Sports data -- the third highest play type on the team behind spot-up (15.4 percent) and transition (15.1). Bradley has the best numbers on the team averaging 0.906 points per play. He's shooting 50 percent (21 of 42) in those situations and has limited his turnovers by looking for his shot more than the pass since moving back to shooting guard.

The Celtics confirmed at season's start that Bradley isn't a very good offensive quarterback. He struggles when trying to run the offense from the point guard position. But he's been very good when he creates for himself off the bounce. Bradley is averaging 0.943 points per play on jumpers off the dribble. No one is asking him to be Steph Curry (1.1 points per play) or Monta Ellis (1.086) off the dribble, but that performance puts him in the same ballpark as Chris Paul (0.99), Kyrie Irving (0.958), and Tony Parker (0.946).

I think it is more likely that Bradley remains an acceptable mid-range shooter and improves on threes than that his mid-range game dissolves and he becomes a worse offensive player.  If he is going to develop his shot, he's going to have to do it by taking shots in real games instead of merely honing his shot in practice.

[DarkAzcura]

I'm fine with it. I think he takes good shots for the most part. His problem to me is that he can't get to the free throw line. Even getting there 2-3 times would probably increase his efficiency a great deal. I can't believe he only gets there 1 time a game on average in his career at 20 MPG. Means he has only gone to the line every other game in his short career so far.

Right now he is averaging more shots than points. If he got to the line only 1.5 times more per game, he'd be averaging ~15 PPG on ~14 shots at his current percentages. Pretty crazy how little he gets there.

[BASS_THUMPER]

keep shooting Avery
u bout the only one not afraid
and you making most of them

[LooseCannon]

I'm fine with it. I think he takes good shots for the most part. His problem to me is that he can't get to the free throw line.

It's kind of hard to get to the line when you take uncontested shots.

[PhoSita]

I've just seen posts complaining about Sully taking so many threes and I was just commenting that the coach is more likely than not encouraging these players to do some of the things they're being criticized for.

Sully and KO  should not be shooting threes as bad as they are at them.   Vitor is ok at them.  These other guys are bums from three point land.

Both Sully and Olynyk "look" good taking the threes that they take, though. 

All they have to do is be able to hit better than 33% on those three pointers and they'll be getting better than 1 point per shot attempt.  That's why it makes so much sense statistically to get your bigs to take threes instead of long twos. 

It may not be a natural part of their games right now, but since they are young and still figuring out how they are going to play in this league right now is the ideal time to get them to add that to their arsenal.


Along the same lines, while Bradley is hitting a nice percentage on these mid-range shots right now, I am a little dubious of the idea of encouraging him to focus on his mid-range shot.  The mid-range shot is not very efficient and it's only going to make a player especially effective offensively if it is used as a complement to driving to the basket or taking threes.

[Celtics4ever]

Both Sully and Olynyk "look" good taking the threes that they take, though. 

I don't agree with your assessment at all.   They are not making them.   Oly looks outside his range and the rotation on Sully's is abysmal.

Since when did looking good on a shot matter, what is this the fashion boardwalk or basketball?   K Martin's shot looks horrible but he is scoring 25 PPG this year.  As long as you make them it's all good but no one cares how you look on the court as long as you perform.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Both Sully and Olynyk "look" good taking the threes that they take, though. 

I don't agree with your assessment at all.   They are not making them.   Oly looks outside his range and the rotation on Sully's is abysmal.

Since when did looking good on a shot matter, what is this the fashion boardwalk or basketball?   K Martin's shot looks horrible but he is scoring 25 PPG this year.  As long as you make them it's all good but no one cares how you look on the court as long as you perform.

It matters because form matters. It's the first year Sullinger is taking 3s in the league (a sophomore in the league at that) and the other one is a rookie who's displaying the same sort of struggles in other areas of the court. So what you're showing is not evidence that they can't shoot the 3-ball well or that they're incapable of doing it. There are other circumstances that are leading to this struggles, namely inexperience.

They're bound to improve.

If by mid season or so they're still haven't shown a big leap in improvement in making a shot, I think there's a better case to make a fuzz out of this...but as it is, all I'm seeing are two players capable of making the shot getting used to incorporating it in their game within their respective circumtances.

The "they're not making them" is just not good enough for me to discourage them from integrating this aspect into their game, in this particular context... whether I like them taking the shot or not.

[Fafnir]

Along the same lines, while Bradley is hitting a nice percentage on these mid-range shots right now, I am a little dubious of the idea of encouraging him to focus on his mid-range shot.  The mid-range shot is not very efficient and it's only going to make a player especially effective offensively if it is used as a complement to driving to the basket or taking threes.

If he's playing shooting guard he has to be able to make those though.

He definitely needs to get more drives and ftas into his offensive game plan though.