Is Avery Bradley destined to be a Bust?!

[moiso]

I'm still hopeful for the future, but I have to admit that Pruitt and Giddens looked better initially.  I'm not going to compare him to Gerald because Gerald had the laziness factor.

I agree that the point guard minutes are just a horrible idea.  I don't know if Bradley has "it" or not, but I know that he will never have "it" as a point guard.  Pruitt didn't stick in the league and he was 10x better as a point guard from day one.

Bradley has some awesome tools, but he has a whole lot to overcome.  How many 6'2" or under guys don't have the skills to play point guard?  A few.  How many of these guys can't dribble?  None.

[2short]

Avery Bradley is just another example of a kid who should have stayed in college to work on his game.  IMO he is a pro player, something I never saw in Giddens but I thought Pruitt had what it took to be a pg/sg sub. 
Remember at one pt in preseason when Luke couldn't hit the backboard much less a jump shot and was horrible at defense,deer in headlight syndrome.  Well as someone put it Avery hasn't had preseason, injured etc.  I wouldn't consider him this year at all.  I do think he should be getting minutes now with the injuries, unless he kills us, which he has been.  If he is going to be a pro player he needs to work through this.  Yes d league will do him well but we are going to need 5 minutes until delonte and rondo get back due to fouls.  Also our starting pg is nate and backup marquis, while both are doing nice jobs (and ray & paul w/ assists) neither is a pg.  So doc needs to play him in situations and its up to him and his teammates to work him through having no confidence.  Even if it works out to have daniels bring the ball up so bradley can defend the opposing pg only.
As far was #19 in draft...where were reggie lewis & rick fox? 

[Fafnir]

I'm still hopeful for the future, but I have to admit that Pruitt and Giddens looked better initially.  I'm not going to compare him to Gerald because Gerald had the laziness factor.

I agree that the point guard minutes are just a horrible idea.  I don't know if Bradley has "it" or not, but I know that he will never have "it" as a point guard.  Pruitt didn't stick in the league and he was 10x better as a point guard from day one.

Bradley has some awesome tools, but he has a whole lot to overcome.  How many 6'2" or under guys don't have the skills to play point guard?  A few.  How many of these guys can't dribble?  None.

If he's going to be a player in the nba he has to handle at the point, so minutes there are exactly what he needs.

[timpiker]

I was thinking during the Pacer game that Bradley looks like the worst draft pick Danny has ever made........

[Brendan]

He cannot shoot. He cannot run the offense, his handle is suspect too. He has the tools to defend, but I was at the game on Thursday and his defense was not inspiring, let's chalk it up to a lack of practice time due to injury and little opportunity. He lacks the size to play SG full time IMO.

I guess medium case scenario is Tony Allen with less size, but more brains and better handle? Ultra best case scenario is a guard version of Iguadala (whereas Iggy is a SG/SF.)

Whether he's destined to be a bust, or just has a high bust potential, I cannot say. But he needs development time, I'd send him to the NBADL with a shooting coach, where he can get the instruction
and PT he needs. Get him experience running the point (look at DWest - that experience has made him a much better SG), let him develop his shot, and generally train better.

[Brendan]

I was thinking during the Pacer game that Bradley looks like the worst draft pick Danny has ever made........

Given that some of the guys after him were more useful and that options for trading the pick were available, he's in the running. I still think Gabe Pruit instead of Marc Gasol was tragic.

[moiso]

He cannot shoot. He cannot run the offense, his handle is suspect too. He has the tools to defend, but I was at the game on Thursday and his defense was not inspiring, let's chalk it up to a lack of practice time due to injury and little opportunity. He lacks the size to play SG full time IMO.

I guess medium case scenario is Tony Allen with less size, but more brains and better handle? Ultra best case scenario is a guard version of Iguadala (whereas Iggy is a SG/SF.)

Whether he's destined to be a bust, or just has a high bust potential, I cannot say. But he needs development time, I'd send him to the NBADL with a shooting coach, where he can get the instruction
and PT he needs. Get him experience running the point (look at DWest - that experience has made him a much better SG), let him develop his shot, and generally train better.

His shot looks ok as long as it's not off the dribble.  Tony was a careless ballhandler but at least he could get it up the court before dribbling it off his foot.  

Another guy who looked better than Bradley is Lester Hudson.  Confidence is definitely an issue.

[Brendan]

I was thinking during the Pacer game that Bradley looks like the worst draft pick Danny has ever made........

Given that some of the guys after him were more useful and that options for trading the pick were available, he's in the running. I still think Gabe Pruit instead of Marc Gasol was tragic.

I took a quick look at who was available... not sure which players drafted after AB would be helping anyways, so its too early to make that call. I mean to be the worst pick being bad isn't enough you need to have another obvious better choice go after you... which is why picking JR Giddens wasn't such a travesty, its not like missing out on Mario Chalmers was a huge crisis.

Gerald Green has to rate number one, so many serviceable to good quality NBA players were drafted after him. I know the whole "swing for the fences" theory, but still David Lee, Nate Robinson, Hakim Warrick, Monta Ellis all went after him.

[Birdbrain]

The guy just looks like a young thoroughbred that's learning to walk.  Boston fans are a rare bread though with regards to patience.  Danny is pretty good talent evaluator so I would give it a year or 2 before labeling him a bust. 

[jsingh1699]

Most people (including myself) believe he just needs playing time to develop. Perfect example is bill walker. im not saying hes now a superstar (or even in their rotation), but last year when he got consistent minutes with the knicks, he did produce. that kind of production would ahve been perfect for 10 min a game behind pierce for us.

2 things haunt the young players on the celtics:

1. because we're trying to win now, doc doesnt care about getting the young guys decent minutes to develop. hes trying to put the best team out there each night to simply win and get us home court for the playoffs. these guys are learning and i dont think doc wants to experiment too much with bradley. with erdin, he really had no choice because theres nobody left on the bench to play center. doc does have other options to run the plays (nate, pierce, allen, daniels).

2. think about the guys on the roster: kg, allen, pierce, shaq, rondo, j'oneal. these guys were all nba all stars and leaders of teams at some point in their careers. bradley must be really scared of the fact that hes being asked to go in and spell some minutes for rondo or ray. its alotta pressure on a young kid so hes confidence is gonna be low. its not like 2006-07 where gerald green was allowed to do whatever he wanted on offense cause we had nothing to really play for and had a bunch of no name guys around pierce.

as long as bradley plays hard and continues to shine on defense, he'll get his minutes in due time.

[Chief]

The kid looks good on the defensive end. Having said that, he looks horrible on offense. How many times has he got his pocket picked? When Delonte comes back, Danny needs to send the kid to the D-League for the rest of the year.


I think pg is a crucial position for our championship run. Maybe Danny should look at Rafer Alston or Jamaal Tinsley for our 3rd string. I'm sure those guys would play for the vet min. for a shot at the title.


***Cut Von Wafer***

[Brendan]

The kid looks good on the defensive end. Having said that, he looks horrible on offense. How many times has he got his pocket picked? When Delonte comes back, Danny needs to send the kid to the D-League for the rest of the year.


I think pg is a crucial position for our championship run. Maybe Danny should look at Rafer Alston or Jamaal Tinsley for our 3rd string. I'm sure those guys would play for the vet min. for a shot at the title.


***Cut Von Wafer***

Eh... Tinsley is too much of a sketch and Rafer's not that good. I like the guard rotation of Rondo, Allen, West for the playoffs, with Nate available in case of injury or when match ups allow us to play small on the wings.

[EJPLAYA]

How can he be a bust when he was the 19th pick in the draft.

Being a role-player on any team would be an accomplishment for players picked that low.

Mainly because he was considered a lottery level talent except for the injury. Also because he was also rated as the best player coming out of high school by many.

The point is that if it wasn't for our injuries, he wouldn't be a role player on this team. That's what has me concerned. As many have agreed with on here his offense looks horrible and his ball handling skills are terrible. He's supposed to be one of the fastest guys in the NBA but he can't get it over half-court?! I praised his potential on defense. I think he tries real hard although he really hasn't done anything per se on that side of the ball either.

I'm not saying that he WILL be a bust. I am just saying that what I see right now makes that seem more likely than him being the star many suggested. At best the guy is a small 2 guard. Not a playmaker by any stretch. That is VERY clear right now.

[Fafnir]

I think its hard to judge him for not cracking the rotation.

He was used off the ball in college and that hasn't helped him get ready for playing in the NBA where that will be his natural position.

[wdleehi]

No training camp and pre-season.


Learning a new position.


On a very deep and good team.





Way to soon.  He needs to be given the ball to run a d-league offense.