So once he's slumping it's back to bashing I guess.....
When is he not slumping?
TP (yeah, I hand them out freely).
Pretty much this.
Look, I've been a Bradley defender here and elsewhere for quite some time. I repeatedly defended his new contract. But facts are facts and 38 games into the 2014-2015 NBA season, Bradley isn't playing well. He's not a good ball handler and he doesn't rebound, so his scoring and his defense were his two assets.
Defense: This has always been Bradley's claim to fame, but he's not the same player. His lockdown defense isn't there anymore. I understand that might have something to do with the lack of support behind him, meaning he can't take as many chances. But I don't see the same defensive effort or emphasis. He's certainly not a bad defensive player, but he doesn't really earn his "defensive premium" on his contract nearly as much as expected.
Scoring: This is the big disappointment. Bradley improved his offensive statistics every year since he entered the league. Scoring, EFG, 3 point percentage...it was all headed in the right direction. That potential made the Bradley contract acceptable. With no #1 scorer, Bradley has had the opportunity to step up except he's stepped back. His scoring is down (14.9 to 12.8 ), his EFG is the same, his 3 point shooting is down considerably (.395 to .349) and he hasn't picked it up in any other way (rebounds are down, assists the same, steals down).
+
In short, he's regressed in almost every single way this season. It's not bashing, it's a demonstrable fact. He doesn't really look like a starter and he's not really earning his contract very well. It's not too late for him to turn it around because he's only 24. But I think the OP is right - Bradley has been a disappointment this season. There's nothing wrong with saying that.
I am so relieved that someone else saw the difference between, "being disappointed" and "bashing the guy". and someone else who sarcastically said "just what we needed, another Bradley post", which, by looking at some of these remarks, we certainly do!!!
believe me, there is nothing I want to see more than Bradley play up to the way I know he can, so we can get this show back on the road and the rest of this team on track.
In just the last few days, there have been several threads where people have had the opportunity to spew their venom regarding Bradley.
Some thread titles
It's time to start Smart over BradleySo sick of hearing how bad Bradley is (plenty of criticism though)
Bradley vs RiversAvery Bradley and his contract http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=75704.0And to Granath, I linked that one because that's a thread where the OP literally asks the question that you thought I made up in an attempt to create a straw man.