I'm not nearly as high on Avery Bradley as most of this forum is. I still see him as a backup. He's an extremely undersized shooting guard best suited for the bench and it seems Jason Terry has that role locked up. Courtney Lee seems like someone who makes more sense as a starting shooting guard. If not, I'd prefer starting Pierce at SG and JEff Green at his natural SF. Jeff sure as heck is getting paid like a starter.
If Bradley has any trade value, I think he should be used in trade package for a legit big. Unfortunately, I don't see any reason why he'd have trade value. He had a month of solid shooting and a small sample size of aggressive defense... that's not enough to really build up a lot of interest around the league. Boston probably values him a heck of a lot more than any team outside of Boston. I said prior to the draft that I didn't even think we could get a mid 1st rounder straight up for Bradley... people on this forum have an unrealistic perception of him.
But who knows... maybe he defies the odds and becomes a consistent starting shooting guard despite the fact he's 6'2 and 180 pounds.
Bold statements. Doc and Ainge sacrificed a HOFer and probably the best sniper of all time for him. But, you don't see any reason why he'd have trade value? Well you should've told us before we showed Ray the door!
I think you're mistaking unconventional with expendable. The league is changing, and so are positional roles that fit inside a neat little box. The prototypical player today is becoming a big that plays like a guard - that's why a role player like Batum is getting paid so well. While Avery isn't your typical body for an SG, he can be highly productive in a lot of different ways. Being 6'2" 180 doesn't limit him on defense - he guards PGs, full court, and he succeeds guarding larger players (comparing him to Joe Johnson is silly here, btw - he's the worst match-up possible for a small 2 and, obviously, adjustments are made on him), because he's such a lock-down guy. I've watched him shut down talented SFs on defense because he's in their shorts the second they touch the ball.
He's also just plain freaky. He plays higher above the rim than guys 6'9"; he finishes tremendously well around the rim (see fast break dunk on Durant). He has a high bball IQ and plays well off the ball w/ Rondo (he's faster), which couldn't be more important for our offense. He can fill in at PG and run an offense effectively for that reason, as well as his raw physical talents. He has nice mechanics and shoots at a great clip - both spot up and pull up jumpers off the dribble. He's very aggressive but plays within himself as well. He's just tenacious, too, and he doesn't shy away from pressure. His defense can't be overvalued and, if you're concern is he's too small to defend at the 2, you're off... not only can he stick bigger guys, but he thrives on it. He's in your shorts full court. He changed our identity on defense, brought us back to the grittiness that made us so strong since Thibs. You can't place a high enough value on that. GMs would salivate to get him. Name another guy in the league like him in that regard...
The best part about the kid is he doesn't even realize how good he is yet. You can see in his mannerisms and movements that he's not completely sure of himself yet, not all that loose and fluid sometimes... it undoubtedly accounts for his attitude towards the game and it's downright scary to think how good he can become if he's healthy and starts to actually realize his potential. The kid is 21, he learned on the spot this past season, he's always ready to go - KG gushes over his work ethic - and he's probably cheaper than Wade's 2nd car.
He was the #1 prospect coming out of h.s., ahead of John Wall for a reason. And he has gotten himself to an NBA level really, really quickly.
Topic: i predict avery bradley will be traded (Read 22393 times)