By Taylor C. Snow
Celtics.com
October 7, 2016
WALTHAM, Mass. – Avery Bradley seems to add something new to his game every season.
What will that something be when the veteran guard enters the 2016-17 campaign? If the first two games of the preseason provide any indication, the answer to that question seems obvious – an improved playmaking ability.
Bradley dished out six assists – one shy of his regular season career high – during Boston’s preseason opener Tuesday night against Philadelphia. He then went on to log another five dimes Thursday night in Charlotte.
Recording 11 assists over a two-game span is a bit unusual for Bradley, who has averaged 1.6 assists per game during his career. Sure enough, he says it was one of his main focal points during the offseason.
“It’s something that I worked on all summer,” Bradley said following Friday afternoon’s practice session in Waltham, Massachusetts. “I worked on my ball handling, my decision-making, I wanted to improve my game in one-on-one, iso situations. I wanted to work on all those things so I could bring it to the team and try to help us out.”
So far, Bradley’s refined playmaking ability is having an immense impact on the fluidity of Boston’s first unit, and his teammates are taking notice.
“He’s growing,” said Isaiah Thomas, who serves as Boston’s primary playmaker and Bradley’s backcourt mate. “He’s just becoming a more complete player.”
Thomas elaborated, “[The game] is slowing down for him. When he comes off pick-and-rolls he’s not going so fast. He’s slowing down and really looking for all his options and he’s making the right plays so you can tell that he’s improved in a lot of areas – not just in scoring or defense, which he’s great at – but making plays for others.”
Defense is what Bradley hangs his hat on, and it’s certainly the area of his game that garners the most attention. So much attention, in fact, that it sometimes overshadows his opponents’ views of his offensive skillset.
“I knew he could shoot the ball, but he is a much better shooter than I thought,” said newcomer Al Horford. “He can really shoot the 3, pull-ups, and he’s also a really good passer. You get so caught up in his defense and how great he is defensively that you lose sight of some of the things that he can do on the offensive end.”
While basking in the defensive spotlight last season, Bradley’s offense went under the radar, despite the fact that he averaged the second-most points on the team (15.2 points per game) and was one of Boston’s top long-range shooting threats.
Now, he’s hoping to add “playmaking threat” to his already-impressive resume.
“I knew it was something that I needed to improve in order to take my game to the next level,” said Bradley. “I needed to add that to my game – trying to get my teammates involved and not just being a lockdown defender and a shot-maker off of pin-downs.”
Brad Stevens noted that Bradley’s improved playmaking ability is a result of “experience, hard work and deliberate skill work.” And, so far, the coach likes what he’s seeing so from Boston’s longest-tenured member.
“He’s able to make the right play at the right time with, oftentimes, a guy closing out or sprinting behind him or whatever the case may be,” said Stevens. “He’s just gotten great at reading every situation.”
By improving his ability to read situations on the fly, Bradley says that will ultimately allow him to help his teammates improve, as well.
“Something that I’m challenging myself every single game, every single practice [is] to get my teammates involved, and I know I have a lot of opportunities to do it,” said Bradley. “I’m starting to look at the game and see it different. I’m starting to understand where my spots are, where I can get guys shots, how guys play, and I think that’s going to be good for our team this year.”
The Celtics have thrived off of Bradley’s playmaking skills early in this preseason, and he has a cumulative plus-minus rating of plus-31 to show for it. If he can keep it up, Boston’s starting backcourt could feature a lethal playmaking combo for the 2016-17 season.
