Avery Bradley-o-Meter

[Snakehead]

I will give him time but not how long it took Bowen. We need more immediate returns than waiting 3 full seasons. If he is on the Bowen path, he will be on his 3rd team in his 4th season.

Bowen went undrafted. Bradley is a first rounder making first round $$.

I think the better comparison is DeShawn Stevenson who was drafted 23rd straight out of high school.  Of course, Stevenson has never really been particularly good....

Did you watch the Finals and Playoffs last year?  Stevenson was quite good.  His stats weren't great for the Mavs that year but he stepped up when needed and hit big shots and played as good of D as you can hope to on LeBron individually. And I don't think Deshawn is that good of a defender.  Avery is already showing more and will improve on that front.  If he can develop a 3 I'd be very happy, that alone would be enough to warrant him being out there on the floor.

But yeah, depends on your definiton of particularly good... I don't think Deshawn has shown enough consistently to be labled that.

Useful role player at times, but not someone who should be starting, not someone who should be in any team's long-term plans, and not someone you should hesitate to throw in on a trade.  He's the sort of player who could probably be replaced by several D-Leaguers without missing much.  I'd take Stevenson over Bradley for just this season, but I'd probably gamble on Bradley beyond that.

Yeah you're right.  Overall though I'd MUCH rather gamble on Bradley a little long term.  I really can't think of another guard who at this age and limited NBA experience level was guarding  man to man like Avery does.

[j804]

He's filling a early poor mans Tony Allen role for us harass opposing ball handlers and quick guards for stretches, make them uncomfortable and on offense just get out the way

[jgod213]

He's filling a early poor mans Tony Allen role for us harass opposing ball handlers and quick guards for stretches, make them uncomfortable and on offense just get out the way

I'm sure Rondo really appreciates the effort Bradley puts in defensively, too.  Just making guys like John Wall work that hard to bring the ball up on 3 or 4 consecutive posessions is big, even if it doesn't result in a stop every time. 

If you can make the other team's pg sweat a little harder while Rondo is drinking gatorade that's a nice little contribution.

[dtrader]

For those saying he can't guard 2 guards remember this, he might only be 6'2" but he has a nearly 6'8" wingspan(I think its 6'7.5"). As a comparison, Wesley Matthews, a pretty decent sized, 2 guard with pretty good defensive capabilities is almost 6'6" but only has a 6'8" wingspan. Tony Allen is 6'4" and has a 6'9" wingspan.

If Bradley can put some muscle on, and I think he will, get up to about 200 lbs, and keep his athleticism, I think he could easily guard 1's, 2's and some 3's. heck, the Celtics have been effective putting Rondo on LeBron at times.

I dont understand how Avery compares to these players at all. Having a smaller wingspan at 6'6" doesnt matter...youre 6'6" already.  You dont NEED to have a huge wingspan to contest a shot at that height. The same thing with Tony. 

I dont see any reason to think he could get his weight up 20 pounds to get to 200 either.  He is a weak 180 right now soaking wet. He doesnt look to have put on any size since coming into the league (despite plenty of time to be in the weightroom), and at the predraft combine he did 2 reps on the bench. Tony Allen (who did 17 reps) uses his strength to defend players bigger and longer than him. Bradley doesnt have the strength to do that.

Also...Rondo cannot guard Lebron.  He can make life a living hell for him as he brings the ball upcourt for sure, but in a half court set, he doesnt stand a chance. Now that Lebron has a more developed post up game, that matchup is even more ridiculous.

[Snakehead]

For those saying he can't guard 2 guards remember this, he might only be 6'2" but he has a nearly 6'8" wingspan(I think its 6'7.5"). As a comparison, Wesley Matthews, a pretty decent sized, 2 guard with pretty good defensive capabilities is almost 6'6" but only has a 6'8" wingspan. Tony Allen is 6'4" and has a 6'9" wingspan.

If Bradley can put some muscle on, and I think he will, get up to about 200 lbs, and keep his athleticism, I think he could easily guard 1's, 2's and some 3's. heck, the Celtics have been effective putting Rondo on LeBron at times.

I dont understand how Avery compares to these players at all. Having a smaller wingspan at 6'6" doesnt matter...youre 6'6" already.  You dont NEED to have a huge wingspan to contest a shot at that height. The same thing with Tony. 

But if you have a long wingspan you could... so what's your point?  I don't get it.

[nickagneta]

For those saying he can't guard 2 guards remember this, he might only be 6'2" but he has a nearly 6'8" wingspan(I think its 6'7.5"). As a comparison, Wesley Matthews, a pretty decent sized, 2 guard with pretty good defensive capabilities is almost 6'6" but only has a 6'8" wingspan. Tony Allen is 6'4" and has a 6'9" wingspan.

If Bradley can put some muscle on, and I think he will, get up to about 200 lbs, and keep his athleticism, I think he could easily guard 1's, 2's and some 3's. heck, the Celtics have been effective putting Rondo on LeBron at times.

I dont understand how Avery compares to these players at all. Having a smaller wingspan at 6'6" doesnt matter...youre 6'6" already.  You dont NEED to have a huge wingspan to contest a shot at that height. The same thing with Tony. 

I dont see any reason to think he could get his weight up 20 pounds to get to 200 either.  He is a weak 180 right now soaking wet. He doesnt look to have put on any size since coming into the league (despite plenty of time to be in the weightroom), and at the predraft combine he did 2 reps on the bench. Tony Allen (who did 17 reps) uses his strength to defend players bigger and longer than him. Bradley doesnt have the strength to do that.

Also...Rondo cannot guard Lebron.  He can make life a living hell for him as he brings the ball upcourt for sure, but in a half court set, he doesnt stand a chance. Now that Lebron has a more developed post up game, that matchup is even more ridiculous.

I can't believe I really have to explain this but here goes.

Strength is not the only factor when playing defense. Foot work, lateral quickness, hand eye coordination, and length also play huge factors in making up a great perimeter defender. If you can constantly beat your opponent to the spot, harass his handling of the ball with your hands and contest his shot because of your ability to react and lift quickly and have the length to get your hands in his face or near the ball, you can be a great defender without bodying up too much.

At 6'2" he is undersized for a SG but he has the wingspan of a much taller player and with his hops can alter shots by getting a hand or hands up. Also, a large wingspan, when in the proper defensive position with arms outstretched, makes it more difficult for your opponent to dribble around you and if you have quick hands, easier to reach in from afar and hamper the opponents' dribble.

Bradley just turned 21. He will start putting on his man muscle in the next couple years. Maybe he doesn't gain more weight, but he will definitely get stronger if it works at it. His speed, hops, length and reaction time will make him easily be able to guard SGs of all sizes.

BTW, Rondo drew LeBron for a few trips in the Miami game this year and turned around a win versus Miami in the regular season last year when he was switched to LeBron and harassed him to hell and altered his game. Rondo, for the limited time he has guarded LeBron has done a very good job at it.

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo did just about everything in Boston's 85-82 victory over Miami, recording his third triple-double of the season. He had 11 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and absolutely smothered LeBron James on defense throughout the game.

Rondo's defense caused James to commit four turnovers in the first half.

"I thought Rondo just willed us the game," coach Doc Rivers said. "Rondo just took it upon himself that whoever was bringing the ball up he was going to guard and harass. And I thought that changed the game for us."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/14/rajon-rondo-lebron-james-heat-huddle_n_822666.html

Notice the name of the article. "Rajon Rondo smothers Lebron James". I'm pretty sure they were talking about his defense and not a homicide attempt with a pillow.

Know why Rondo can be that effective on LeBron. Quickness, speed, hand eye coordination and wingspan. Rondo has the wingspan of a player 3-5 inches taller than he is.

[Tone]

Avery's defense was good last night i think his offense will get better over the season i think your expectations are too high

[Celticjay]

His Defensive pressure is his obvious talent so why not milk it and give him 10 minutes or so a game to put some pressure on the other team and give rondo a rest.  I think in spurts it would be good to use Rondo and bradley together to cause some backcourt havoc.  

If he had a set role and set minutes he would be able to relax a bit on offense.  He's never going to be a star but he does have alot of athletism which this team sorely needs.  If he improved  enough it would be a nice weapon to have him check the likes of Dwade for a period like TA used to..

[Celtics4ever]

He did hit one shot this year folks.  He is shooting 1 for 9 which is .11% and 0-2 from three point land.  It was from the foul line extended on the right side I think I recall.

Long arms help in any position just ask Michael Smith.  You can pester opponents and reach things they can't.

[dtrader]

For those saying he can't guard 2 guards remember this, he might only be 6'2" but he has a nearly 6'8" wingspan(I think its 6'7.5"). As a comparison, Wesley Matthews, a pretty decent sized, 2 guard with pretty good defensive capabilities is almost 6'6" but only has a 6'8" wingspan. Tony Allen is 6'4" and has a 6'9" wingspan.

If Bradley can put some muscle on, and I think he will, get up to about 200 lbs, and keep his athleticism, I think he could easily guard 1's, 2's and some 3's. heck, the Celtics have been effective putting Rondo on LeBron at times.

I dont understand how Avery compares to these players at all. Having a smaller wingspan at 6'6" doesnt matter...youre 6'6" already.  You dont NEED to have a huge wingspan to contest a shot at that height. The same thing with Tony.  

I dont see any reason to think he could get his weight up 20 pounds to get to 200 either.  He is a weak 180 right now soaking wet. He doesnt look to have put on any size since coming into the league (despite plenty of time to be in the weightroom), and at the predraft combine he did 2 reps on the bench. Tony Allen (who did 17 reps) uses his strength to defend players bigger and longer than him. Bradley doesnt have the strength to do that.

Also...Rondo cannot guard Lebron.  He can make life a living hell for him as he brings the ball upcourt for sure, but in a half court set, he doesnt stand a chance. Now that Lebron has a more developed post up game, that matchup is even more ridiculous.

I can't believe I really have to explain this but here goes.

Strength is not the only factor when playing defense. Foot work, lateral quickness, hand eye coordination, and length also play huge factors in making up a great perimeter defender. If you can constantly beat your opponent to the spot, harass his handling of the ball with your hands and contest his shot because of your ability to react and lift quickly and have the length to get your hands in his face or near the ball, you can be a great defender without bodying up too much.

At 6'2" he is undersized for a SG but he has the wingspan of a much taller player and with his hops can alter shots by getting a hand or hands up. Also, a large wingspan, when in the proper defensive position with arms outstretched, makes it more difficult for your opponent to dribble around you and if you have quick hands, easier to reach in from afar and hamper the opponents' dribble.

Bradley just turned 21. He will start putting on his man muscle in the next couple years. Maybe he doesn't gain more weight, but he will definitely get stronger if it works at it. His speed, hops, length and reaction time will make him easily be able to guard SGs of all sizes.

BTW, Rondo drew LeBron for a few trips in the Miami game this year and turned around a win versus Miami in the regular season last year when he was switched to LeBron and harassed him to hell and altered his game. Rondo, for the limited time he has guarded LeBron has done a very good job at it.

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo did just about everything in Boston's 85-82 victory over Miami, recording his third triple-double of the season. He had 11 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and absolutely smothered LeBron James on defense throughout the game.

Rondo's defense caused James to commit four turnovers in the first half.

"I thought Rondo just willed us the game," coach Doc Rivers said. "Rondo just took it upon himself that whoever was bringing the ball up he was going to guard and harass. And I thought that changed the game for us."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/14/rajon-rondo-lebron-james-heat-huddle_n_822666.html

Notice the name of the article. "Rajon Rondo smothers Lebron James". I'm pretty sure they were talking about his defense and not a homicide attempt with a pillow.

Know why Rondo can be that effective on LeBron. Quickness, speed, hand eye coordination and wingspan. Rondo has the wingspan of a player 3-5 inches taller than he is.

lol.  You dont need to explain anything.  I've been around the game.  None of that changes anything I said.  I never said that strength was the only factor on defense.  I just pointed out that the players whose names were brought up in comparison to Bradley, were players that were able to succeed because of their superior strength, and Bradley lacks that ability.  All the other factors are great, but more often than not if you're 6'1" and weak, and your opponent (at 6'5" and strong) posts you up...you're at a consistent disadvantage, regardless of how good your positioning and reaction time is.

You can "hope" he puts on size, but the development of his "man muscle" is about as guaranteed as Rondos jumpshot development.  Where is Jason Terrys man muscle?  Allen Iversons?  The only way to pack on pounds is dedicated time in the weight room, and very few guards want (or are encouraged) to do that.  

As for Rondo...I watched the games, and the quote you posted basically just repeats what I already said.  Rondo can cause issues for larger opponents when theyre in the process of bringing the ball up court.  The issue, is once the ball is in the half court set though...he's not effective there because of his size.  If you have any quotes about Bradley (or Rondo) stopping larger players in the post I'd love to read them.

D Wade is 6'4", and a strong 220.  As much as I'd love to see it happen, expecting Bradley to be able to guard him effectively is a bit unreasonable to me.

[nickagneta]

For those saying he can't guard 2 guards remember this, he might only be 6'2" but he has a nearly 6'8" wingspan(I think its 6'7.5"). As a comparison, Wesley Matthews, a pretty decent sized, 2 guard with pretty good defensive capabilities is almost 6'6" but only has a 6'8" wingspan. Tony Allen is 6'4" and has a 6'9" wingspan.

If Bradley can put some muscle on, and I think he will, get up to about 200 lbs, and keep his athleticism, I think he could easily guard 1's, 2's and some 3's. heck, the Celtics have been effective putting Rondo on LeBron at times.

I dont understand how Avery compares to these players at all. Having a smaller wingspan at 6'6" doesnt matter...youre 6'6" already.  You dont NEED to have a huge wingspan to contest a shot at that height. The same thing with Tony.  

I dont see any reason to think he could get his weight up 20 pounds to get to 200 either.  He is a weak 180 right now soaking wet. He doesnt look to have put on any size since coming into the league (despite plenty of time to be in the weightroom), and at the predraft combine he did 2 reps on the bench. Tony Allen (who did 17 reps) uses his strength to defend players bigger and longer than him. Bradley doesnt have the strength to do that.

Also...Rondo cannot guard Lebron.  He can make life a living hell for him as he brings the ball upcourt for sure, but in a half court set, he doesnt stand a chance. Now that Lebron has a more developed post up game, that matchup is even more ridiculous.

I can't believe I really have to explain this but here goes.

Strength is not the only factor when playing defense. Foot work, lateral quickness, hand eye coordination, and length also play huge factors in making up a great perimeter defender. If you can constantly beat your opponent to the spot, harass his handling of the ball with your hands and contest his shot because of your ability to react and lift quickly and have the length to get your hands in his face or near the ball, you can be a great defender without bodying up too much.

At 6'2" he is undersized for a SG but he has the wingspan of a much taller player and with his hops can alter shots by getting a hand or hands up. Also, a large wingspan, when in the proper defensive position with arms outstretched, makes it more difficult for your opponent to dribble around you and if you have quick hands, easier to reach in from afar and hamper the opponents' dribble.

Bradley just turned 21. He will start putting on his man muscle in the next couple years. Maybe he doesn't gain more weight, but he will definitely get stronger if it works at it. His speed, hops, length and reaction time will make him easily be able to guard SGs of all sizes.

BTW, Rondo drew LeBron for a few trips in the Miami game this year and turned around a win versus Miami in the regular season last year when he was switched to LeBron and harassed him to hell and altered his game. Rondo, for the limited time he has guarded LeBron has done a very good job at it.

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo did just about everything in Boston's 85-82 victory over Miami, recording his third triple-double of the season. He had 11 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and absolutely smothered LeBron James on defense throughout the game.

Rondo's defense caused James to commit four turnovers in the first half.

"I thought Rondo just willed us the game," coach Doc Rivers said. "Rondo just took it upon himself that whoever was bringing the ball up he was going to guard and harass. And I thought that changed the game for us."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/14/rajon-rondo-lebron-james-heat-huddle_n_822666.html

Notice the name of the article. "Rajon Rondo smothers Lebron James". I'm pretty sure they were talking about his defense and not a homicide attempt with a pillow.

Know why Rondo can be that effective on LeBron. Quickness, speed, hand eye coordination and wingspan. Rondo has the wingspan of a player 3-5 inches taller than he is.

lol.  You dont need to explain anything.  I've been around the game.  None of that changes anything I said.  I never said that strength was the only factor on defense.  I just pointed out that the players whose names were brought up in comparison to Bradley, were players that were able to succeed because of their superior strength, and Bradley lacks that ability.  All the other factors are great, but more often than not if you're 6'1" and weak, and your opponent (at 6'5" and strong) posts you up...you're at a consistent disadvantage, regardless of how good your positioning and reaction time is.

You can "hope" he puts on size, but the development of his "man muscle" is about as guaranteed as Rondos jumpshot development.  Where is Jason Terrys man muscle?  Allen Iversons?  The only way to pack on pounds is dedicated time in the weight room, and very few guards want (or are encouraged) to do that.  

As for Rondo...I watched the games, and the quote you posted basically just repeats what I already said.  Rondo can cause issues for larger opponents when theyre in the process of bringing the ball up court.  The issue, is once the ball is in the half court set though...he's not effective there because of his size.  If you have any quotes about Bradley (or Rondo) stopping larger players in the post I'd love to read them.

D Wade is 6'4", and a strong 220.  As much as I'd love to see it happen, expecting Bradley to be able to guard him effectively is a bit unreasonable to me.

So what you are saying is when Bradley is playing athletic freaks of nature at the SG position that also have post up games, that he won't be able to guard them.

So other than those one or two players I guess Bradley will be okay then.

[jdz101]

Bradley will be ok...

As trade bait

[PosImpos]

Note: the smaller-guard-on-LeBron thing probably isn't going to work anymore because this season it looks like he's developed something of a post-game.

[webby]

Avery  lacks  passion in  playing.  if  he plays  more  heartly  he can score more  and  play  better 

[GreenFaith1819]

Loved his defense last night.

The offense will come. Just give it time.

The bottom line, to me, is that with both he and Stiemroller on the floor, we have a defensive presence up front and with our guards - from the bench.

Throw in Wilcox, Keyon, Marquis and Bass and we have the makings of a potent bench that will only get better with time.

Glad that AB is still with us.