Source: Bradley Likely Done for Season

via Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe May 24, 2012

The Celtics are not expected to have Avery Bradley for the rest of the season because of a left shoulder injury. A source close to Bradley told the Globe that the percentile is in the “high 90s” that Bradley will be shut down and will perhaps need surgery.

The source said that it’s “highly likely” Bradley’s left shoulder would pop out again — it has popped out twice in the series against the Philadelphia 76ers — and playing further would put him at risk of “serious structural damage.”

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CSNE

SHERROD BLAKLEY

PHILADELPHIA — The Boston Celtics haven't totally ruled Avery Bradley out from returning at some point in the playoffs.

But as of now, the likelihood of him returning to the Celtics lineup is slim, at best.

A Boston Globe report indicated Bradley runs the risk of doing further damage to the shoulder by playing, and that could potentially result in him needing surgery and up to a year to fully recover.

Bradley indicated Wednesday morning that the shoulder injuries that have sidelined him the past two games -- including Wednesday's 82-75 Game Six loss to Philadelphia -- are not showing significant improvement.

"It's definitely frustrating," Bradley said. "All I can do is keep trying to get stronger, keep improving for my team. That's all I'm gonna do."

Coach Doc Rivers said earlier that both Bradley and Ray Allen (ankle) have the kind of injuries that won't respond to added rest.


"Ray and Avery, they're just not going to get better," Rivers said. "The rest makes no difference. It's going to come down to day-to-day, if they feel better or not."

Without Bradley, the Celtics take a major blow defensively.

There were countless plays in the Celtics' Game 6 loss where the absence of Bradley on the floor, was obvious.

Knowing that there's a very good chance that he won't be back for the playoffs, puts the C's in a precarious position even if they were to win Game 7 on Saturday.

A victory would move the Celtics on to the Conference finals against either Indiana or Miami, two teams that have athletic, high-impact wing players that. Bradley's absence will make a tough matchup even more difficult.

Rivers maintains the team's "no excuses" mantra, even when he acknowledges how not having a player like Bradley available can impact the C's.

"It's what we have," Rivers said. "Clearly, Avery's a great defender. [The Sixers'] penetrations, their isolations without Avery on the floor, they clearly went to a lot of iso's, they were picking who they wanted. That's what I would do. You can't blame them for doing it."

Without Bradley, the Celtics have to revert back to some of the defensive approaches they had prior to inserting him in the starting lineup.

"We have to do a better job of covering for guys who may not be able to keep some of those in front of us," Rivers said. "I don't think we covered for each other very well. Having said that, they scored 82 points and that's not a lot."

True, but it's probably more than the Sixers would have scored had Bradley been healthy enough to play.

But there's no time for Boston to worry about that now, not with a decisive Game 7 on Saturday against a Philadelphia team that's coming into it with more confidence it's had at any point in this series.

"Our mindset is. . . 'Let's see what we can do,' '' said Sixers coach Doug Collins. "Let's see if we can go get us a win."

Something that will be easier to come by for Philadelphia, knowing that this defensive-minded Celtics squad will be minus Bradley, who has been one of their top defenders.

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Someone is going to get more minutes in Avery's place.

Ray's defense is horrible. Dolling can play but you lose too much offense when he is on the floor.

I suppose the Celts must limit their turnovers and start hitting their shots. Playing a game 7 under these conditions is one tough challenge.

Dboss

dBoss

They need some spark! Why not Moore!

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This from Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston. WARNING! This sucks.


Boston Celtics second-year shooting guard Avery Bradley needs surgery on his ailing left shoulder and likely will miss the remainder of the postseason, team president of basketball operations Danny Ainge acknowledged Thursday.

"We'll probably find out more here in the next few hours, but it's looking that way," Ainge said during his weekly interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI. "I think these reports are accurate -- at least the reports I've read. Someone said it was a 90 percent chance that he's done for the season, and it's looking that way."

The surgery is needed to repair small tears that have compromised the structure of his left shoulder, according to a league source.

Bradley has endured a number of dislocations during the 2011-12 season, including three in the postseason. After the shoulder came out in a Game 4 loss in Philadelphia, doctors determined it was too risky to put him back on the court with the potential for a more serious injury, according to the source. Bradley has missed Games 5 and 6. The Celtics face the Sixers in a pivotal Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Saturday night at TD Garden.

With surgery unavoidable, Bradley is expected to undergo the procedure as soon as the team determines he's able. According to the source, Bradley is looking at a four-month recovery process, but the hope is he will be ready in time for training camp in October.

Pressed on what the summer would entail for Bradley, Ainge said, "Avery needs surgery. So he should have a summer full of rehab, and should be ready to go next year."

Bradley, a first-round pick (19th overall) in the 2010 draft, will miss his third consecutive summer league. After being drafted by Boston, he underwent ankle surgery related to a draft workout that likely caused him to slide late in the first round. He missed both summer league and most of training camp that year. This past offseason, the lockout wiped out summer ball and shortened training camp.

Despite all of that missed activity, Bradley emerged as a key member of the Celtics' rotation, taking over the starting shooting guard role when Ray Allen battled his own ankle injury late in the regular season.

Bradley's tireless on-the-ball defense has raised eyebrows across the league and he earned a couple of coaches' votes for the NBA's All-Defensive teams (including one first-team vote).

According to the source, Bradley is despondent over not being able to get back on the court and help his team, particularly with Boston on the cusp of the Eastern Conference finals (a Game 7 with Philadelphia looms Saturday night).

After Wednesday's Game 6 loss, Celtics coach Doc Rivers suggested the team couldn't lament not having Bradley on the floor.

"Listen, it's what we have, you know what I mean?" Rivers said. "Clearly, Avery's a great defender, but he's not out there, so I can't worry about it. I really can't. I understand what you're saying -- their penetration, their (isolations) without Avery on the floor -- clearly, they went to a lot of isos and they were picking who they wanted. But that's what I would do. You can't blame them for doing it."

Rivers has a sense of humor about the situation.

"(Sixers coach) Doug (Collins) and I are close. I'm going to give him a call and say, 'Listen, none of that.' That would be terrific," said Rivers, joking about stopping the isolations against susceptible defenders. "Listen, we just have to do a better job of covering for guys who may not be able to keep some of those in front of us. I didn't think we covered for each other very well. Having said that, they scored 82 points, so that's not a lot."

Well that's just great! I was hoping it was a decoy. Hey let us see what Doc and company come up with. I hope one option is Moore.

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I just read that Avery is having surgery today.

Boston Celtics

@celtics


Doc says Avery Bradley will have shoulder surgery today and is done for the playoffs. "It's disappointing. He's been terrific this year."

4 months to recover, he should be ready for next season.

We must be jinxed with injuries. Doesn't matter if they are old or young, seem like it is bound to happen year after year. Really sad. If we had Wilcox, Green, and Bradley, I think we would have a very good chance to win it all.