What if Bradley doesnt pan out?

[mctyson]

What if bradley doesnt pan out as our starting SG...What's next?

You can say that about any rookie in the league last year, maybe save for Irving.  You can definitely say that about any player in the draft this year.

Bradley will be an All NBA Defensive team player either next year or the year after.  He got votes this year and he only played half the season!

He shot 46% from 3. 50% overall in his starts.  That is not a fluke.  He can shoot.  He was one of the best players in the country in high school.  That's not because he was a nasty on-ball defender.  Those guys grow on trees.

[Boris Badenov]

I see two important open questions:

1. If his shooting ends up being just average, can the Celtics survive with a backcourt that is limited in terms of scoring ability? This was masked somewhat this year because the other three starters (Bass, PP, KG) are all excellent shooters at their positions. But if someone with less offensive ability replaces Bass, we have only two decent offensive options in the starting five.

2. Will his defensive play hold up when other teams can scout him? This year was so unusual because Bradley started playing halfway through, and most teams had limited or no practice time because of the lockout. He surprised everyone. But if Bradley has vulnerabilities (e.g., in the post, or bothering taller 3 point shooters), teams will find them and exploit them.

If those things both can be worked out, I think the Celtics will have one of the best backcourts in the league for the next few years.

[More Banners]

I see two important open questions:

1. If his shooting ends up being just average, can the Celtics survive with a backcourt that is limited in terms of scoring ability? This was masked somewhat this year because the other three starters (Bass, PP, KG) are all excellent shooters at their positions. But if someone with less offensive ability replaces Bass, we have only two decent offensive options in the starting five.

2. Will his defensive play hold up when other teams can scout him? This year was so unusual because Bradley started playing halfway through, and most teams had limited or no practice time because of the lockout. He surprised everyone. But if Bradley has vulnerabilities (e.g., in the post, or bothering taller 3 point shooters), teams will find them and exploit them.

If those things both can be worked out, I think the Celtics will have one of the best backcourts in the league for the next few years.

I like the future at the F spots in terms of scoring and shooting with JGreen and JJJ, and this draft seems like it will produce another solid forward, so I'd say PP, Bass, and KG will be replaced with players than can also score from outside.

His defense is so strong fundamentally, I don't think there'll be a problem.  He has great foot speed and positioning, plus great hands.  Most importantly, he's committed on the defensive end, mentally, much like TA was/is.

No worries about Bradley, so long as his heath is good.

[bfrombleacher]

Who was with him from the start?

I fell in love with his game the moment I saw him play defense.

[TheAlbatross]

He plays incredibly hard and he plays great defense. Those two things alone ensure that he'll, at the least, be a worthwhile contributor for years to come