Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Players who are ready to win their first title
Avery Bradley
The Celtics made it to the Finals in 2010, eventually losing to the Lakers.
After the Purple and Gold handed Boston a second-place chip, Celtics GM, Danny Ainge selected 20-year-old Avery Bradley with the 17th overall pick in the 2010 draft.
Next, LeBron James made his infamous “decision” to switch teams, going from the Cavaliers to the Heat, forming the Hall-of-Fame “Big Three” in Miami.
Bradley arrived on the Celtics one year too late, missing Beantown’s championship window before LeBron, Wade, and Bosh took over the Eastern Conference.
Now Bradley is a grizzled 28-year-old veteran, who-like Dwight Howard- has also seen the ups and downs of the NBA.
Avery went from being named NBA All-Defensive first team during the 2015-2016 season to being traded from the Celtics, and then finally becoming a castoff journeyman incapable of sticking to a squad for more than one season.
Why did Bradley struggle so much after Boston dealt him?
Often fans and the media tend to look at a player as an amalgamation of his statistics and nothing more. NBA players are rich, famous, and elite athletes, yet they’re still men with genuine feelings and emotions.
Bradley recently opened up and discussed his recent struggles;
"“With basketball it’s all about opportunity and confidence. Those two places [Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers], I was given the opportunity but I don’t feel like all the confidence was there.”"
It makes sense that Bradley lost his self-assurance. He’s a 6’2″ defensive point guard who was forced to play primarily shooting guard and small forward for the Pistons, Clippers, and Grizzlies. Stir in the fact that Bradley continuously suffered from nagging injuries, which made the already difficult task of guarding bigger players nearly impossible. Finally, add in the way none of the squads he played for wanted to retain him. The byproduct is the perfect setup to make any mortal man doubt himself.
Presently, Bradley’s ended his miserable three-year tour through the NBA, and he’s found a real home in Los Angeles.
For the first time since Avery’s left Boston, he’s injury-free, and he’s playing under a coach (Frank Vogel) who is going to deploy him where he’s most useful; at the point guard position.
That’s not all Bradley has going for him in Hollywood. Bradley could have let his mentally crippling three-year journey through the association break him, but he didn’t. Instead, he got angry.
His rage gave him the focus and determination necessary to lose 40 pounds during the offseason. Plus, Bradley’s wrath has left a boulder-sized chip on his shoulder.
Bradley has been the most impressive Lakers player throughout the preseason. He’s played frenzied defense against every player he faces.
That anger flowing through Bradley’s veins is going to push him to become the defensive terror he was for the Celtics, which is just what the Lakers need this season.
Bradley’s ready to be one of the major cogs in the Lakers march toward a championship during the upcoming season.