Los Angeles Lakers: Three candidates for the third best player
By Ethan Temkin
3. Avery Bradley
After signing with the Lakers in free agency, Bradley has shown that he can potentially return to the player he was during his Boston years, where he earned two All-Defense selections. Frank Vogel inserted Bradley into the starting lineup as the ‘point guard’ to start the season and so far that move has paid off big time.
Bradley’s tenacious defense on opposing guards has been huge, as he has been consistently applying fullcourt pressure and making life incredibly difficult for them.
Although the metrics don’t seem to paint Bradley as an elite defender at this point in the season, the eye test has been more reliable in determining Bradley’s value. His communication and aggressiveness rub off on his teammates as the defensive intensity picks up whenever he’s on the floor.
Not only that, his offense is starting to come around as well as he’s been averaging 10.7 points per game, with an eFG% of 57.7% (75th percentile), which is promising given where his offense was these past couple seasons.
Even though LeBron has been the primary ball-handler when on the floor, Bradley has expanded his offensive repertoire and has taken the task of being a secondary playmaker, running some pick and roll action to some success, and occasionally setting up the offense.
Overall Bradley’s contributions have been surprising, to say the least, and if he can stay healthy, he can be a huge part for the Lakers in the regular season and beyond.