Avery is our starting shooting guard. always has been, always will be.

[LarBrd33]

avery is our sefolosha.

Like a tiny little point-guard sized Sefolosha.  Or a mini Tony Allen.

His size is a problem.   

[lightspeed5]

not a problem when hes guarding the wade's of the world

[Vox_Populi]

avery is our sefolosha.

Like a tiny little point-guard sized Sefolosha.  Or a mini Tony Allen.

His size is a problem.

I agree. Sefolosha can guard 2s, 3s and survive guarding a 4 on switches. Bradley's size makes him ideal at guarding point guards and shorter shooting guards like Wade but the bigger ones will learn quickly to post him up.

[hpantazo]

not a problem when hes guarding the wade's of the world

he couldn't even handle the Raymond Felton's of the world this past year.

[PhoSita]

I still think he needs a bigger PG that can defend SGs to be at his best. 


Offensively, he plays great off Rondo, no question.



But I do not like see either of them defending large SGs.

Avery would work next to a PG like Holiday or Westbrook for this reason.

He'd also be fine playing next to a ball-handling SG like Harden.

[ScoobyDoo]

Love Avery Bradley - one of my favorite Celtics, just a hard nosed kid with game changing D, and I hope he's with us for a long, long time as a combo guard off the bench.

I just don't think he can start long term as an off guard in this league, or as a point guard. he just doesn't have the size and I think that will eventually cause injuries for the kid because he's out of position size wise.   

I don't mind him as a back up point - but not as a starting point.

if he is our starter at off guard, we better have at least one or two 6'5" off guards behind him for when he's getting drilled by Joe Johns types or he starts breaking down physically from the wear and tear.

I see him as a combo guard and an excellent one - off the bench.   

[Kuberski33]

In today's NBA if your starting 2 can't hit three's consistently you have a problem.

[LooseCannon]

In today's NBA if your starting 2 can't hit three's consistently you have a problem.

Bradley has a chance of developing a consistent three.  People who know better than me say he has good mechanics.  Last season, he was recovering from shoulder issues that reportedly robbed him of upper-body strength.

It'd be a mistake to say spring 2012 was definitely a fluke and it'd be a mistake to say that he will definitely be that 40% three-point shooter in the future.

[ForexPirate]

bradley will be perfect pg to dribble ball up and pass off to our new point forward olynyk.  then we can get a taller, better shooting 2 guard.  oh yeah -  hate to tell you this but rondo's likely to be traded.

[lightspeed5]

olynyk is not a point forward first off. a point forward needs amazing ball handling skills.

[Vox_Populi]

In today's NBA if your starting 2 can't hit three's consistently you have a problem.

Unless his name is Dwyane Wade.

[rondoallaturca]

In today's NBA if your starting 2 can't hit three's consistently you have a problem.

Unless his name is Dwyane Wade.

At the same time, Wade has been able to refine his game so that he's far more deadly with the mid-range game now (see: 2013 Finals), and is still able to use his strength to get into the paint for a high-percentage shot. Bradley's mid-range game is as spotty as his perimeter shooting right now, and he definitely doesn't have the strength to bully his way to better positioning. Of course, I know you weren't trying to compare Wade to Bradley, but I'm just further emphasizing Bradley simply has no tools in his arsenal to be anything but an offensive liability at this point in his career. As everyone's mentioned, he's still very young, but I'm highly skeptical on him developing a competent offensive game.

[Vox_Populi]

In today's NBA if your starting 2 can't hit three's consistently you have a problem.

Unless his name is Dwyane Wade.

At the same time, Wade has been able to refine his game so that he's far more deadly with the mid-range game now (see: 2013 Finals), and is still able to use his strength to get into the paint for a high-percentage shot. Bradley's mid-range game is as spotty as his perimeter shooting right now, and he definitely doesn't have the strength to bully his way to better positioning. Of course, I know you weren't trying to compare Wade to Bradley, but I'm just further emphasizing Bradley simply has no tools in his arsenal to be anything but an offensive liability at this point in his career. As everyone's mentioned, he's still very young, but I'm highly skeptical on him developing a competent offensive game.

Agreed.

[Kuberski33]

I like Avery.  I especially like him with Rondo and even with Courtney Lee when they really get after it defensively.  But he just doesn't shoot we'll enough right now to get starter minutes.  Also without Pierce and KG he probably won't be useful in his 'run the baseline and get open' role.

In general though this team needs to improve its 3 point shooting. They were below average in that dept last year and now Pierce is gone.

[rondoallaturca]

Another thing I must bring up is something that's always bothered me for a while now. A lot of people are so eager in calling AB an extremely valuable asset with lots of potential, but at the same time, so many people are also quick to call Lee a bad contract and someone we need to shed.

Believe it or not, Lee is actually in Bradley's ballpark in terms of defensive ability, but his offensive game is far better. Furthermore, with Lee, you don't have the issue of size.