The biggest problem with Bradley this year (from what I could tell for the 30 minutes I saw him play before last night) was that the game was too quick for him. You'd see it when he'd overreact on defense and commit a foul, or on offense when he'd throw a pass to where someone had just left, or get his pocket picked.
Last night was different, because the game didn't mean anything, so it was played at his speed. Not that it wasn't up-tempo, but because there wasn't the same intensity. And I'm okay with that. Because despite assertions made, those aren't D-League players out there, except maybe Bradley and someone at the back of the Knicks bench. Otherwise they were a mix of reserves and second-division starters, and 20 minutes of A'mare. And Bradley looked as athletic and as good at basketball as any of them. He looked like he belonged.
It was unfortunate that he was injured all camp. I'm not certain he would have been drafted by us if it was believed he'd miss all of the preseason. That had to set him back a lot. But if he can adapt to the NBA enough to not be overwhelmed by it, he'll thrive.
Comparing him to Pruitt isn't fair, as Pruitt should have looked better, having at least had two more years of college than Bradley. Comparing him to Green is fine, and there's certainly a chance he ends up like Gerald, who had a ton of talent but couldn't put it together. There were certainly some games his rookie year when Green got in the game, and looked like he might some day win an MVP. Obviously we know how that turned out, but here's hoping Bradley develops differently. The verdict is out on whether it will happen, but it should also be out on whether it won't.
