Los Angeles Lakers: Best-Case, Worst-Case scenarios for new additions
Avery Bradley
Best-Case Scenario
Avery Bradley went from the darling of “Beantown” to a journeyman in under three years.
Between the ages of 23 through 26, Bradley made a name for himself as the Celtics defensive-minded, uber-aggressive starting shooting guard.
Throughout the 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 seasons Avery played in-your-face defense and took pride in pestering his assignment’s on a nightly basis.
He was also a weapon on offense, averaging just under 15 points per game while shooting a good clip from deep.
Then during the summer of 2017 Bradley was traded to the Pistons to clear cap-space, so that Danny Ainge and the Celtics could sign Gordon Haywood.
Bradley proceeded to play for Detroit, Los Angeles (the Clippers), and Memphis where he had trouble replicating his defensive performance in Boston, perhaps because of a series of small, nagging injuries.
The best-case scenario for Avery Bradley next year is simple; he plays through next season injury-free for the first time in two years, and he once again performs like the great two-way player that he operated as while suiting up for the Celtics.
In this situation, Avery Bradley will start at the 1, and he’ll be the Lakers primary ball-hawk responsible for slowing down the slew of great point guards who play throughout the association. He’ll also shoot over 38% from deep and occasionally act as an auxiliary playmaker for LA on offense.
Worst-Case Scenario
Avery Bradley, at 6-2, 180 pounds, is an undersized point guard (or a tiny shooting guard) who was never a great defender during his time in Boston.
Instead, he was a system player who benefited by playing under two of the best defensive coaches in the NBA in Doc Rivers and then Brad Stevens.
After Bradley was traded to the Pistons, then the Clippers, and finally the Grizzlies he suffered several minor injuries, but they weren’t the cause of his porous D. Rather, his lack of size, length, and strength were exposed outside of the friendly confines of New England and the magnificent defensive schemes that Rivers and Stevens created to hide his weaknesses on the less glamorous side of the ball.
The worst-case scenario for Bradley next season is that he plays awful defense like the player who was traded from Boston and to three different squads over the last two seasons.
If Bradley continues to play the same leaky defense that he displayed over the last couple of seasons, that will leave Frank Vogel and the Lakers in the lurch, because LA doesn’t have any other proven options who have shown that they can slow down opposing point guards throughout an entire 82-game season.