I mean, really: What do we have in Avery Bradley? This is, after all, a player who at one time not too long ago found himself rated ahead of John Wall in the minds of most NBA draft experts. What do we make of this tweener guard considered too short to hang with the big boys at the two spot, and not polished enough to play the point? Is he the second coming of Marcus Banks and Tony Delk, journeymen players who never made a serious impact in the league, or is he capable of being Rajon Rondo's equal, a player who excels with long arms, an absolutely great defensive game and serious jets for feet?
It's far too early to tell for sure what Bradley is all about, and once the season starts we probably won't get a much better read on 6-foot-2 University of Texas product. The Boston Celtics have reloaded and will surely rely on the play of veteran guard Delonte West when it comes to spelling Ray Allen in the rotation. Nate Robinson has been re-signed to handle the backup point guard duties. Bradley will likely sit and watch, take his obligatory turn on injured reserve, and find himself honing his skills in the D-League at various points during the regular season. Still, there is much to like about Bradley. The former Longhorn averaged 11.6 points, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game last season, and was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team. His game appears to be NBA-ready, something Danny Ainge weighed heavily when making the selection with the 19th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. And Bradley is on 19 years old.
All of this upside means that head coach Doc Rivers may be tempted to play Bradley this season, especially if Robinson regresses and loses site of his role on the team. Robinson brought tremendous energy off the bench during key moments in the playoffs, and he has the outside shot that Rondo may never master, but past history with the Knicks reveals a player who can put himself ahead of the bigger purpose. Not likely to happen, but should Robinson land in Rivers' doghouse it will open the door for Bradley to enter the rotation.
What may ultimately determine how much Bradley figures into Boston's plans this season is his defense. He is capable of playing high-level NBA defense right now, and we may see a Rondo-Bradley backcourt combo at some point if it provides a matchup advantage against an opponent.
What Bradley truly represents, at this point, is a piece of the rebuilding effort that will begin in Boston two seasons from now. That's when players such as Ray Allen, Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O'Neal will presumably conclude their careers at Celtics, and when Ainge will attempt to assemble a new core group of players for the next generation of championship contenders. By then we will know the ceiling in Bradley's game - if he becomes good but not great, he may become a fixture as Rondo's backup. If Bradley evolves into an All-Star caliber point guard, he could very well become a valuable trade chip to help accelerate the rebuilding process.
