The Avery Bradley Yellow Ribbon Thread

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Post by bobheckler Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:36 pm

ESPN-Boston, Chris Forsberg, dateline 10/19 late. Bradley has been practicing and he's going on the next road trip. All good signs.


BOSTON -- Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley said he is targeting a possible return to game action on Jan. 2 against the Memphis Grizzlies.


Bradley, who returned to full practice activities on Monday during
an off-day workout in Chicago, said he still plans to travel west with
the Celtics as part of a four-game road trip to close out the calendar
year. But he noted that trainers are likely to keep him locked to a plan
that could have him ready to return to action when Boston returns home.


"It's up to, not only to me, but the doctors and [team trainer] Ed
[Lacerte]," said Bradley. "We're just going to take it day by day.
They're saying January -- around the first or second -- so we're just
going to see how I feel."


Later he reaffirmed: "We're hoping for the next home game after the
West Coast trip." Pressed on if it might be earlier, Bradley cautioned,
"Knowing Ed, he sticks to his schedule and that's what he's been saying,
around January. So, we'll see. We'll see how I feel."


With Boston struggling mightily on the defensive end at the start of
the 2012-13 season, some have promoted Bradley as a potential savior
for the Celtics and their roller-coaster start. Bradley, a third-year
guard who ascended to a starting role in the final months of the 2011-12
season, cautioned against that thinking.


"Nobody's a savior for a team," said Bradley. "We're a team. All I
can do is go out there and do my role and guard the other players as
hard as I can."


Is Bradley worried about increased expectations?


"No, not at all," he said. "I'm going to go out there and play hard regardless. I'll play the way I know how to play."


Bradley said he's simply excited to get back on the floor after
being sidelined the past seven months since his season ended with a
final left shoulder dislocation in Game 4 of an Eastern Conference
semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers.


"I can't wait until I get back. It's been a while," said Bradley.
"Really, for my teammates, I know they've been waiting for me to come
back, help bring that energy. And not only that, they just feel bad that
I haven't been able to play since last playoffs, so I'm just excited. I
can't wait until I get back on the court."



bob



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Post by bobheckler Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:40 pm

12/19/12



http://greenstreet.weei.com/sports/boston/basketball/celtics/2012/12/19/irish-coffee-what-avery-bradley-does-for-the-celtics/


Upon Avery Bradley‘s return to practice on Monday, Celtics coach Doc Rivers declared, “He ain’t the savior.”

Well, he was last season. The Celtics finished 20-9 in Bradley’s 29 starts last year, including a 14-5 record once he took Ray Allen‘s
starting job on March 25, and they were essentially a .500 team (19-18)
when he wasn’t in the starting lineup. Funny how the C’s have started
12-12 without him this season.


But Bradley does more than impact their record. When he took the floor with Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass and Kevin Garnett, the Celtics outscored their opponents 113-94 per 100 possessions. That’s seven points better on offense and defense than the Rondo-Allen-Pierce-Bass-Garnett lineup (106-101 per 100 possessions).

That’s also far better than Rondo, Pierce, Bass and Garnett with Jason Terry (108-99) or Courtney Lee
(106-115) this season. The Celtics shot better (50.6 eFG%), forced
opponents to shoot worse (39.5 eFG%), got to the line more often (+28
FTA) and rebounded better (47.0 REB%) with Bradley than with Allen,
Terry or Lee.



The Avery Bradley Yellow Ribbon Thread - Page 2 Bradley-Avery-Celtics-head-11Avery Bradley

On top of all that, Bradley reestablished the “pack of hyenas” mentality
that defined the C’s during their 2008-10 glory seasons. The Celtics
owned the first and third quarters once he replaced Allen in the
starting lineup, winning 28 of a possible 38 frames and setting the tone
by outscoring everyone from the Bobcats to the Heat by double digits in
the opening quarter.

For some perspective, the C’s have won 78 percent of their games
(223-63) when leading after the first quarter in the KG era. Conversely,
they’re once again a .500 team (99-102) when trailing after 12 minutes.


Perhaps most importantly, Bradley makes his impact without Celtics
coaches having to create schemes specifically for him. Offensively, he
knocked down corner 3-pointers at a tremendous rate (56 percent) and cut
to the basket for a layup once every 7.8 minutes. Defensively, for
example, opposing shooting guards like Dwyane Wade and Evan Turner shot 33 percent against Bradley and better than 50 percent when he sat on the bench.


Additionally, Bradley’s ability to shut down any opponent’s best
backcourt scorer allows Rondo to gamble more defensively, which led to a
20 percent increase in steals after the NBA All-Star break last season.
Likewise, Garnett and Bass don’t have to help or hedge as much, which
leaves them to better defend the paint, where the Celtics are allowing a
ridiculous 42.8 points per game this season.


Bradley’s return will also force Terry to the bench, where he
excelled in Dallas, and push the struggling Lee further down the depth
chart. In other words, Rivers can finally begin to define roles for the
rest of his roster. If the Rondo-Bradley-Pierce-Bass-Garnett lineup
picks up anywhere near where it left off last season, the Celtics coach
simply has to squeeze more out of Terry, Lee, Jeff Green, Jared Sullinger and Chris Wilcox than he could out of Keyon Dooling, Marquis Daniels, Mickael Pietrus, Greg Stiemsma and Ryan Hollins last season.


In other words, while Bradley may not be the savior, the Celtics
could be born again upon his return, and wouldn’t it be appropriate if
that happens when the Celtics visit the Nets for Rondo-Humphries II on
Christmas Day?





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