Bradley Eyes Next Recovery Checkpoint

If you read this through, it doesn't feel like he's coming back soon. I mean, Bradley says he can't even do a full pushup because that's too much for his shoulders! That's ok, Lee is coming along very nicely and we also have Barbosa. I do like the fact that Bradley didn't go with the team on the road trip because he gets too frustrated not being able to suit up and play. That's a KG attitude.


http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4698094/bradley-eyes-next-recovery-checkpoint



BOSTON
-- Though he's made significant progress over the last month, the
timeline for Celtics guard Avery Bradley's return hasn't yet been
altered. As far back as last summer, the Celtics had pegged Bradley for a
mid-to-late December return, and, prior to the team's preseason finale
on Sunday, Bradley said that time frame is still in play.


The signs of progress are there for Bradley; he can now shoot jump
shots, do some light weightlifting, and run through non-contact
offensive sets. He said his next step is continuing to strengthen his
shoulders and his arms, to help prepare him for when he returns to
full-contact drills.



"That's the big thing for me right now, trying to get stronger, so
I'm able to do contact things," Bradley said. "Like right now I can walk
through the offense, but obviously I can't jump into practice and have a
full practice yet. I wish I could, but I'm getting there.



"It's more up to me, like how I'm feeling. Just how I feel going up
against contact. If my shoulders can't put up with it, that's when
they're going to say, like, 'Don't do it.' That's the main thing right
now for me, is the contact. They're so worried about me not doing
contact. I can't dunk the ball, I can't do anything like that, because
they don't want me to put any stress, like I haven't even done a full
push-up. I can't put any weight on my shoulders right now. I've just got
to get them stronger."


Bradley said strength is a key part of his
recovery. He lost upwards of 12 pounds after his surgeries, bottoming
out around 180 pounds before he could begin gaining it back. And though
he has started to put more weight on, he said he doesn't have much in
terms of muscle tone right now.


The Celtics have been operating on a series of deadlines with
Bradley, the latest being his return to shooting drills and weight work.
The next step? Engaging in a full-contact practice, which should happen
at some point in November.



"I think the next deadline is for me to practice. I went from
working out with [head trainer Ed Lacerte] to the strength and
conditioning coach, so, that was one deadline," Bradley explained. "And
then now, the next one is for me to practice, and that's like November,
or something like that. That's what they were aiming for, for me to be
able to [go through] a contact practice. But as of right now, I'm just
shooting every day, lifting every day, and trying to increase my weight
every week. That's what I'm trying to do right now."



Though he's still limited in terms of what he can do, Bradley said
he's already seeing improvements in his jump shot. He said he has
experienced mild discomfort at times during hit shooting drills, but he
said that's primarily due to just not having shot a basketball in
months. And that discomfort is a far cry from the pain Bradley
experienced in last season's playoffs, when his injuries were at their
worst.



"A lot of people during the summertime were like, 'I don't know how
you did it,' Bradley said when asked how badly his shoulders were
hurting him. "But, the adrenaline, and not only that, not wanting to let
your teammates down, there was a mix of that, that's why I kept
playing. But it hurt really bad. It got to the point where I couldn't do
it anymore, because you could just pull one of my shoulders and just
pull it out. It was bad. It was bad."



Boston's bolstered backcourt, including the recent addition of
Leandro Barbosa, might impact the starting role Bradley secured at the
end of last season. But the third-year guard maintained that his
starting gig isn't essential.



"It's up to Doc. It really doesn't matter to me," said Bradley.
"I've just got to be ready for my team. If I'm starting, I'm starting.
If I'm not, I'm not. I just have to be prepared for whatever Doc wants
me to do and I'm going to come back stronger."



Bradley said it's been difficult at times for him to watch the team
from the bench. He didn't attend the team's latest road trip because of
his impatience over not being able to play, but he's keeping his sights
set firmly on the future, when he can finally return to the court.



"I can't wait 'til the first game when I get out there and I know my
teammates can't wait. We all talk about it, joke about it. But, I've
just got to do everything I need to do off the court, so I can be
prepared when the time comes."




bob



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