It never ceases to amaze me how underrated Monta Ellis is on this board. I don't know if it's just a lingering distaste after the Monta-for-Ray talk a few years back or whatever, but it seems like people here never really realize how good he is.
From a physical standpoint, Ellis is a very good comp for Bradley - similar size, build and athleticism. On defense, Bradley is the clear winner - he defends at arguably an All-NBA level. Having said that, Monta's not quite the defensive nonentity that he's made out to be. He's a gambler and his effort is inconsistent, but when dialed in he's a solid defender with a good ability to keep his man in front of him. Like Bradley, he has issues with larger guards shooting over the top of him.
On the other side of the ball, Monta is an volume shooter while Avery picks his spots - their mentalities couldn't be any different. Ellis has an elite ability to create his own shot and is a good passer despite his reputation. Bradley can't make either of those claims, and truthfully it's difficult to predict whether he'll ever get there - it's hard to say how much his handle and his vision will improve over time.
Bradley's potential depends largely improving those two areas and refining his shooting stroke, as well as what kind of role he is asked to play on his team going forward. I highly doubt that he'll ever become Monta's equal on offense, but I no longer believe that he'll be fighting an uphill battle to become average - he could be considerably more than that.
Topic: Avery Bradley: Is his upside Monta Ellis who can Bigtime D? (Read 15534 times)