Avery Bradley

[LooseCannon]

I just don't see Bradley as a point guard, so I think his NBA future depends more on developing NBA three-point range than in becoming an adequate point guard.  Poor man's Ben Gordon with lockdown defense is probably his maximum upside.

[RJ87]

This is the type of guy you could use to slow down crazy athletic guards like Rose. I like Bradley, and NBA bench players (Amare played 20 mins, btw) do not equal D-League players. Why so quick to disrespect the kid? It took ****' Kendrick Perkins about 5 years to be half way competent on the floor in an NBA game, but alot of people are crying now that he's gone. It takes time to develop these guys.

TP.

That's what I'm saying, he's a 20 year old rookie with crazy upside, and people are ready to burn him at the stake because they don't think he's ready yet.  Of course he's not ready yet. He's practically a baby (who can dunk on you). Give the kid time to delevop and grow an inch or two. Jesus Shuttlesworth.

Lol, there is nothing I don't like about this response. The kid definitely has a lot of raw talent and has a bright future. All of these posters thinking he was going to contribute immediately were going to be letdown from the get-go. Give him time. Like I said earlier, I think he'll be a solid offensive player/lockdown defender one day. But he came into the league at 19, after being kept out of summer league and training camp by an ankle injury. Of course he wasn't going to dazzle anyone right away.

With all that said, I don't think he'll be a very good point guard - he just doesn't have the natural instincts. I'm not an authority on growth spurts, but he's fairly young and I hope he can add another inch or two and slide on over to SG.

[Evantime34]

Remember Joe Johnson in Boston? We shouldn't let anyone slip out of our hands because of one season

I rest my case

Bradley's performance is much closer to JR Giddeons and Bill Walker than Joe Johnson.

Did you see how horrible Joe Johnson or Billups were in their rookie season?

I rest my case

Both showed more than Bradley, btw how many times are you going to rest your case?

Infinite times lol
You can't predict the future on what you have seen in someone's rookie season

You most certainly can predict the future from a player's rookie year. Its not perfect, especially from a very young player. But we have a year's worth of data to work with both at the NBA and D-League level. Its foolish to discount it off hand because other players have been late bloomers too. Late bloomers are the exception.

Late Bloomers are the exception as far as elite talent but I think that changes a little bit when you look at good rotation players off the bench (which is what I think Bradley will be).

Also I think players are more likely to bloom late if they only have one year of college experience before going to the league.

To me the rookie season of a player under the drinking age does not tell you much most of the time. Of course you can tell when a player like Lebron or Kobe is going to be legendary, and on the other end of the spectrum you can tell when a player is absolutely lost. I think Bradley is in the middle which means he could go either way. I don't think a determination can be made either way on him at this point.

However, a game like last night, makes it more likely that he will be a player than if he hadn't had one game like that all season. In my opinion guys with good athleticism and a willingness to play defense stick around in the league for a while.

[Change]

I knew this topic would come up.  I will be blunt.  What I saw in Avery tonight is a guy that isn't long for this league.  If he wasn't a first round pick, he'd already be cut.

His problem: he isn't a PG (and likely never will be) and he isn't a SG.  He tries but unfortunately, he isn't an NBA player.

I beg to differ. How could you say that when he just dropped 20points in an NBA game? Against Anthony Carter, Roger Mason, and Toney Douglas all at one point started games in the NBA.
Doc River said something profound in his press conference following the game "Avery Bradley Should be a sophomore in College this year". Avery Bradley hasn't scratched the surface of his potential. The best is yet to come

[Vermont Green]

In comparing Bradley to Billups, people I think are missing the point.  It is not saying that he is as good or as bad but look how much Billups improved from his first few years until his finals MVP.  Billups was a journeyman, hanging on to stay in the league.  Not saying that Bradley is a future finals MVP but based on the circumstances; came out too early, injured in preseason, veteran team, I think it is just silly to declare that we have seen all we are going to see out of him.

[jc3celticsphan]

i agree with tommy this kid s guna be great especially next to rondo

[droopdog7]

I knew this topic would come up.  I will be blunt.  What I saw in Avery tonight is a guy that isn't long for this league.  If he wasn't a first round pick, he'd already be cut.

His problem: he isn't a PG (and likely never will be) and he isn't a SG.  He tries but unfortunately, he isn't an NBA player.

I beg to differ. How could you say that when he just dropped 20points in an NBA game? Against Anthony Carter, Roger Mason, and Toney Douglas all at one point started games in the NBA.
Doc River said something profound in his press conference following the game "Avery Bradley Should be a sophomore in College this year". Avery Bradley hasn't scratched the surface of his potential. The best is yet to come

Gerald Green once dropped 33 in a game.  The fact that avery scored 20 against a team that was playing worse than their already porous defense means nothing.

The one thing I have noticed from those defending avery is that no one is really going out on a limb and predicting that he will actually be a good player.  Only about the "potential" that he has (much of which I don't really see).

I, on the other hand, will go out on a limb and predict that Avery won't be in the league three years now.  No mights or maybe or what ifs.

[RJ87]

I knew this topic would come up.  I will be blunt.  What I saw in Avery tonight is a guy that isn't long for this league.  If he wasn't a first round pick, he'd already be cut.

His problem: he isn't a PG (and likely never will be) and he isn't a SG.  He tries but unfortunately, he isn't an NBA player.

I beg to differ. How could you say that when he just dropped 20points in an NBA game? Against Anthony Carter, Roger Mason, and Toney Douglas all at one point started games in the NBA.
Doc River said something profound in his press conference following the game "Avery Bradley Should be a sophomore in College this year". Avery Bradley hasn't scratched the surface of his potential. The best is yet to come

Gerald Green once dropped 33 in a game.  The fact that avery scored 20 against a team that was playing worse than their already porous defense means nothing.

The one thing I have noticed from those defending avery is that no one is really going out on a limb and predicting that he will actually be a good player.  Only about the "potential" that he has (much of which I don't really see).

I, on the other hand, will go out on a limb and predict that Avery won't be in the league three years now.  No mights or maybe or what ifs.

I've said it twice in this thread already, and I'll say it again: Avery will be a good NBA player. He'll be a solid offensive player/lockdown defender at some point in his career.