But for many who early and often attacked him (in general, I'm not attacking PhoSita), people seem committed to his failing in order to look good. It will never matter what such doghouse players produce on the court. They are trapped within old data and eye tests.
With Bradley, my feelings haven't really changed since a couple seasons ago, that's true. But Bradley is still not very productive in areas other than shooting, and he still doesn't get to the line much even when his outside shot is falling. He's still not a great driver or playmaker. This year he's getting a fair number of steals, which is nice. He had fallen off in that area in years past.
Avery has improved as a three point shooter, both in terms of percentage and in terms of shot selection. I think overall I'd say that Avery has just gradually refined his game within the bounds of the niche he's figured out for himself. He's worked very hard to do it, and I admire him for that.
In general, I don't think we recognize players often enough for simply knowing what they do well and continously working to improve within that. I want to recognize Avery for doing that.
AB is a better overall player this year than a couple years ago. I didn't expect that he'd improve much at all after we signed him to that 4 year contract. I'm hopeful this means I was wrong and this new flamethrowing Bradley is just what we can expect moving forward.
But "this year" has only been about a month worth of games, so far. Seems like there's a good chance he's just having a really nice month shooting the ball. He's done that before.
I think you're right about the tendency to develop an opinion about a player and stick to it. I try my best not to be anchored to previous impressions, but it can be difficult. It's also important not to get overly excited about a player putting together a few weeks of improved play. Most NBA players have ups and downs.