Boston Celtics shooting guard Avery Bradley has improved offensively each year, and this year the league is taking notice. Bradley has taken a sizable leap forward. One factor for Bradley’s offensive excellence is film-watching. Bradley closely studied some big names over the summer, he tells Jay King of MassLive:
Instead of working on difficult dribbling moves, Bradley tossed aside all the Kyrie Irving tape this summer. Instead, he studied explosive guards like John Wall and Russell Westbrook who change speeds and operate in straight lines. Also cued up on Bradley’s computer: tape of Kobe Bryant.
“The reason why I watched him is because he doesn’t waste time to get to his move,” Bradley said. “He just kind of whipped through and got to his spot. He’s not really a ball-handling guy. Not to say he can’t, but he just doesn’t waste any time getting to his spots.”
So far this season, Bradley has looked exponentially more confident when it comes to initiating the offense. Be it getting a jumper off the dribble, exploding past a defender for a layup or dunk, or setting up teammates for easy looks, Bradley has managed to transform himself into a superb offensive player. And to the chagrin of Celtics fans everywhere, you can thank Kobe Bryant.
This season, Bradley is averaging career-highs in points (18.5), rebounds (8.7), and assists (3.4). He’s also shooting 46% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc.
