3. He can create his own shot
Speaking of James’ “load management,” Bradley can help with that in another way.
Although James and Davis are great at getting their own offense and finishing plays, a championship-caliber team needs a third guy in their starting lineup who can create off the dribble and get his own shot.
Bradley may not be elite in that category, but he’s good enough to diversify the Lakers’ offense.
He showed this skill in two preseason games, starting with their third contest, in which he shot 6-of-13 en route to 14 points.
In their Oct. 16 blowout win over the Golden State Warriors, Bradley did even better, scoring 18 points in just 25 minutes on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 from downtown.
None of the other guards on the Lakers’ roster really has the ability to call their own number on offense. Cook may be able to a little bit, but the jury is still out on whether he truly possesses that skill set.